2024 Competition Results

On Thursday, May 2, 2024, Bowie State University, in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center (EIC), held its yearly Bulldog Pitch Competition, featuring $20,000 in prizes for entrepreneurial students. Over 30 applicants applied to participate in the competition.  After two rounds of elimination and extensive vetting, the top seven entries were selected to move on to the final round.

The final round of the competition was held in front of a live audience at the Theater of Bowie State’s James E. Proctor Building. This year’s competition was divided into The Idea Stage and Revenue Generating Stage categories. The Idea Stage consisted of three participants, who had four minutes to present their business ideas and answer questions from a panel of judges and the Revenue Generating Stage consisted of four participants, who had five minutes to present their businesses and answer questions from a different panel of judges. The seven finalists included:

From the Idea Stage:

• Justice Morant - EmpowerHer
• Noelle Brown - LashForever
• Keonna Thomas - K.T.V.

And from the Revenue Generating Stage:

• Calvin-Caleb Omiolemen - The Vegan Pub
• Blair Jefferson - BDivine Naturals
• Ademola Obisesan - Auto Gleam Express
• Chimdi Ego - Captiiv House

The first-place winner from the Idea Stage was Justice Morant (Senior) with EmpowerHer: An app that offers a comprehensive solution for empowering young girls through engaging modules, expert partnerships, a supportive in-app community, progress tracking, collaborative parent engagement, a freemium monetization model, and amplified awareness through social impact campaigns and influencer advocacy.

Second place was awarded to Noelle Brown (Senior) with LashForever: An Xtreme Lash Sealant designed for those with oily skin, promising enhanced retention for individual lash sets and clusters, ideal for consumers and technicians seeking durable, low-maintenance lash enhancement.

Third place was awarded to Keonna Thomas (Senior) with K.T.V., a mobile studio solution housed within an R.V. style truck offering on-site photography and videography services. 

In the Revenue Generating Stage:

Calvin-Caleb Omiolemen (Junior) with The Vegan Pub was the first-place winner from the Revenue Generating Stage. This AI-driven platform offers personalized vegan diet plans and plant-based food substitutes to enrich people’s transition to plant-based living.

The second-place winner was Blair Jefferson (Senior) with BDivine Naturals. A holistic wellness shop that places an emphasis on herbal skin and hair care.

Runner-up went to Ademola Obisesan (Graduate) with Auto Gleam Express. This mobile car detailing service modernizes car care through technology, offering a range of eco-conscious detailing packages accessible via a simple tap and personalized services.

The next runner-up went to Chimdi Ego (Graduate) with Captiiv House, A technology-enabled media production house designed to serve as a collaborative hub for creativity and technological innovation. 

The crowd favorites were Justice Morant – EmpowerHer for the Idea Stage and Blair Jefferson - BDivine Naturals.

The Bulldog Pitch Competition has become a highlight of the university's entrepreneurship program, providing the students with a valuable opportunity to develop their business skills and network with industry professionals. The competition gains much attention, not only because of the students participating but also because of the esteemed individuals from the business and BSU community to score as judges.  This year we had:

• Lauren Kelley, C.E.O./Founder - The TrillestDollhouse (2023 Bulldog Pitch competition Winner)
• Julius Maina, Director - Community for 1863 Ventures
• Maggy Francois, CEO/Creative Director of Special Events/ BSU Professor/ Brand Strategist – Maggy Francios, LLC
• Tarek “Terk” Stevens, CEO – Terk Entertainment Group
• Brandon Andrews, Shark Tank Casting
• Virginia Dinzey-Taveras, Bilingual Business Development Specialist -Maryland Business Opportunity Center (MBOC)
• Griffin St. Louis, Program Manager -Maryland Innovation Initiative at TEDCO

With the impressive prize money available, this competition has motivated many students to develop creative and impactful business ideas that can benefit not only themselves but also their communities and the wider world.