Innovating Students Shine at Berthiaume Center’s Minute Pitch Competition

Innovation was on display in Old Chapel on Oct. 16, as over 100 students presented 60-second, creative, high-impact ideas that could shape the future at the Minute Pitch Competition, hosted by the Isenberg School of Management's Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship.

One of the Berthiaume Center's signature fall kick-off events, the Minute Pitch Competition is designed to help students think, communicate confidently, and bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life. The competition is part of the Center's mission to grow a vibrant innovation ecosystem across campus and throughout the Pioneer Valley, the Commonwealth and beyond.

"It's amazing what students can accomplish in a single minute," said Gregory Thomas, Berthiaume Center executive director. "The energy in the room was electric - you could feel the creativity and the courage it takes to stand up and share their big idea."

This year's top honors were awarded to:

• First Place - Air-Gen
  Air-Gen is a revolutionary technology that generates electricity from the humidity in the air, aiming to unlock a new class of scalable, sustainable power solutions for devices and infrastructure.
  
• Second Place - EquiHealth
  EquiHealth is a culturally adaptive health app that personalizes diet, exercise, and lifestyle plans for chronic disease management. Multilingual support empowers diverse communities better to manage diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, etc.
  
• Third Place - Ghaia Snacks
  Ghaia Snacks is a venture creating the first nutritious health bar specifically designed to support women's needs, with functional ingredients that promote hormonal balance, ease PMS, and improve period comfort.
  
• Future Founder Start-up Award - TrendifyA
  TrendifyAI helps social media creators go viral using their existing videos and photos. Our AI scans content, matches it to trending formats, and suggests edits, captions, or audios-no new filming needed.

Additionally, a special $250 prize was awarded to Mingl, recognizing the team's innovative idea and standout presentation.

The full 2025 Minute Pitch Competition can be viewed below and on YouTube.