Harrisburg student team wins Student Startup Weekend pitch competition

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - A team of mechanical engineering students aiming to improve treatment for hydrocephalus took first place at the Student Startup Weekend pitch competition, where Penn State Harrisburg students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges.

The event, held March 20 in the Capital Union Building, featured a pitch competition, two entrepreneur speakers, resources on intellectual property, and more to help students bring ideas to the next level and commercialize products or start businesses.

The first-place team was made up of Likith Giddi, Gene Jackson, Sam Psoras and Chris Lasher, all fourth-year mechanical engineering students. Their project began as a capstone collaboration with the Penn State College of Medicine.

"When I was 12 years old, my grandfather passed away from a disease called hydrocephalus. That's when I realized when I grew up, I wanted to change the way the world did medicine," Giddi said during the team's pitch to the judges.

He said later that the team was driven by a shared goal of using engineering to make a meaningful impact in the medical field.

The project focused on hydrocephalus, a condition caused by an excessive buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The team is developing a new way to treat it by redirecting excess fluid to an area behind the ear instead of the abdomen, where fluid is typically diverted in current treatments. Their approach aims to reduce complications and the need for repeated surgeries.

Giddi said the competition offered a different experience from the team's usual presentations, which are typically focused on technical detail and engineering rigor, while this event emphasized the business perspective and human impact of their work.

"Speaking to such a diverse audience with different backgrounds was a challenge, but one we genuinely enjoyed and learned from," he said.

Giddi said winning the competition was rewarding for the team after the time and effort they had invested in the project.

"It was a reminder that our hard work is paying off and that we're building something with real potential," he said.

Melissa Orr, director of Penn State Harrisburg's Lambert Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Harrisburg LaunchBox, said the goal of Student Startup Weekend is to take students' ideas at any stage and move them through the full pitch process.

"That means helping them clearly define the problem they're solving, identify their target customer, understand how the business would make money, evaluate the competitive landscape, and ultimately communicate all of that in a concise and compelling way," Orr said.

She said she hopes students take away a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

"Getting up and pitching an idea can be intimidating, but it's incredibly rewarding," she said.

Orr said many of this year's strongest ideas were rooted in personal experiences, with students identifying real needs on campus or within their own families and communities.

She said programs like Student Startup Weekend give students a chance to practice entrepreneurship in a supportive environment, receive feedback and build skills that are valuable whether they pursue a startup or another career path.

Looking ahead, Giddi said the team plans to raise capital to complete benchmark testing and continue advancing its research. He said the team is also preparing to navigate FDA regulatory pathways in the coming years.

"A great idea is only as strong as your ability to communicate it," he said. "You can have something truly innovative, but if you can't clearly explain its value, it won't resonate."

Student Startup Weekend pitch competition winners

• First place: Elaris Medical, student team members Likith Giddi, Chris Lasher, Sam Psoras and Gene Jackson
• Second place: Commutr, student team members Pranav Balachander, Yamini Satish, and Lasya Madhuri Gundapaneni
• Third place: Eldana, team members student Phat Nguyen and Vedant Patel
• Most Campus-Ready Venture: Ahimsa Yoga, student Taya Scott