Kenneth A. FREIRICH ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITION
2024-2025 Competition Information
o November 22, 2024| Semi-final Round
o February 20, 2025 | The Entrepreneurial Artist Forum & Dinner
o February 21, 2025 | Final Competition
November 22, 2024 | Semi-final Round
On Friday, November 22nd, students will present on the second floor of the Murray Aikins dining hall. Semi-final judges will participate via Zoom. Students will receive a link to signup for presentation times for Friday, November 22.
Students should prepare a three minute elevator pitch and be prepared for an eight minute Q&A from the judges about their businesses. Up to eight companies will proceed to the next round of the Freirich Competition, which will be held on February 21st
First Round Results
Congratulations to the following teams who will be moving forward in the 2025 Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition:
| Business Name | Team Members |
|---|---|
| Adaptify | Muhammad Salim '27 |
| Duende | Christopher Campos '26 |
| Eidos | Fineas Jackson '25 |
| Polar Hockey | Liala Cryer '26, Ivory Gipson '25, Franny Gallagher '26, Molly Smith '27, Sara Burr '25, and Justin Shafritz '26 |
| Scanned Sweets | Phoenix Goldberg '26 |
| SlayHood | Emrah Jusufoski '28, Erdni Mangutov, and Bijan Shadid '28 |
| Summit | Taha Bhatti '25 and Kubair Bahl '25 |
| TranslaSite | Luke Curtin '25, Jimmy Gibbons '25, and Owen Quinn '25 |
Semi Final Judges Include:
Founder of Nourrir Drinks — a sparkling juice brand inspired by West African, Caribbean, and Latin American flavors — was established in 2020 and now ships to more than 300 Stop & Shop grocery stores across New York state and New England.
Founder and CEO Library Ideas
Attorney, Author, Board Director, Investor, Former Executive and Ex-Chairman, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Feven and Helena Yohannes are twin sisters and the co-founders of 2•4•1 Cosmetics - an effortless and clean beauty brand that not only enhances your beauty but also instills confidence, kindness, and integrity. The brand name itself "2•4•1" reflects their philosophy that beauty and brains are not mutually exclusive.
February 21, 2025 | Final Competition
On February 21st, 2025, at 1:00 pm, the 15th Annual Kenneth A. Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition will be held on the Second Floor of the Murray Aikens Dining Hall. Participants may invite friends and family to view the event in person, or via Zoom.
Pitches start promptly at 1:00pm. Participants must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their presentation. They are expected to create an updated pitch deck, with projected cashflow statements, and present an 10-minute proposal to alumni as they compete for prizes. Judges will have 10-minutes to ask presenters questions about the business.
Participants will be provided a link to sign up for their presentation time. All student competitors are invited to attend the finals to build their networks and knowledge of entrepreneurship.
The winner of the 15th Annual Kenneth A. Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition will be announced during a celebratory dinner, following the judges deliberations (location TBD).
Speakers for the 15th anniversary celebration dinner include, Kenneth A. Freirich '90, a seasoned entrepreneur, corporate executive and a Fortune 100 executive at age 29, and founder and funder of the competition, and Frank Gibeau P'27, the President of Zynga, a wholly-owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Mr. Gibeau joined Zynga as CEO in March 2016 and is a mobile, PC, and console gaming industry expert with 25 years of experience in interactive entertainment.
Final Round Judges include:
Director, Dyson Foundation, and Business Executive, Dyson-Kissner-Moran
Molly Dyson-Schwery is a licensed social worker, life coach, entrepreneur, and real estate investor. She serves as a board member for Dyson Kissner-Moran, a private investment firm, as well as for the Dyson Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization that has supported myriad community organizations and social causes for decades. Through her work with the Dyson Foundation, Dyson-Schwery seeks to improve the quality of life in the region, strengthen resources available to economically disadvantaged individuals and families, and to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Dyson-Schwery graduated from Â鶹Æƽâ°æ summa cum laude with degrees in psychology and Spanish.
President of Zynga
Frank Gibeau is the President of Zynga, a wholly-owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. He joined Zynga as CEO in March 2016 and is a mobile, PC, and console gaming industry expert with 30+ years of experience in interactive entertainment. As Zynga’s CEO, Gibeau led the company’s turnaround and transition to rapid growth. Zynga’s market cap increased significantly during Gibeau’s tenure as CEO, in large part due to optimizing live services and fortifying the company’s portfolio of wildly popular franchises. Gibeau’s groundbreaking series of studio acquisitions, along with innovation and success across Zynga’s games portfolio, positioned Zynga as among the fastest-growing public gaming companies in the world. In May 2022, Gibeau also led Zynga through its pivotal combination with Take-Two.
Founder Marblehead’s Handprints, Inc. and the Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ College
The Entrepreneurial Artist Initiative at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ College aims to provide studio art students with the business skills needed to build a successful career around their passion for art making. This is accomplished through course curriculum, workshops, and experiences in the field. Connecting students with entrepreneurial arts alumni, as well as arts and business professionals in the community, is an integral component of the program. The initiative is a part of Â鶹Æƽâ°æ's Arts Administration Program and was created and developed by Molly Haley '64. The program is supported by Molly and her husband, Ed Freitag.
Themba is a Financial Markets Advisory Associate at BlackRock. He is also a global change maker acquiring the skills necessary to advance African development and access to capital through sound capital markets. Themba has a strong interest in the intersection of financial markets and regulation as a tool for inclusive growth.
CEO and Founder, Two Labs Marketing
With more than 140 product launches in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, Two Labs Pharma Services has a national reputation for product launch, life-cycle management, pricing, and payer strategy. Wartel serves as CEO of the private-equity backed company, which just completed its first acquisition in January of 2018. Prior to starting Two Labs in 2003, he served as vice president of business development for Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Distribution, focused on brand and generic pharmaceutical launches. Before joining Cardinal, Wartel joined several partners in developing and commercializing the home health care superstore concept with their company American Health Superstore, which they sold in 1997. Wartel graduated from Â鶹Æƽâ°æ with a degree in management and business specializing in accounting. He also holds a masters in accounting from George Mason University.
Peer Mentors include:
Prince Shyllon ’26 is a student-athlete and business owner, currently playing on the men's basketball team at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ. Prince is actively involved in Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Management and Business department. Along with assisting groups with their financial statements in the Kenneth A. Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition, he serves as the Senior Advisor for Investment Banking in Â鶹Æƽâ°æ's Financemore Association, is a member of the investment club, and was the 2nd place winner of the Start-Up Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Competition in 2023 with his business, Only 1 Up Brand. Next summer, Prince will be interning as a 2025 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at M&T Bank.