(From left) Kate Whitenton, Sebastian Musiet and Mauro Garretano pitch their business at the Pitch Slap event on Nov. 30.

Lyon students had the chance to pitch products to both peers and local professionals on Nov. 30 at the “Pitch Slap” entrepreneurship capstone presentation.

The event was hosted by Enactus, an organization of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. Nova Joe’s catered the event, and local entrepreneurs attended to give students feedback on their presentations.

Lyon students took turns presenting their ideas in Nucor Auditorium, discussing detailed plans for the production, rollout, marketing and distribution of their product. 

For example, seniors Ashtyn Stevens, Mariah Spix and Emma de Brum pitched the “Mop Bot,” which would offer combat sports a hands-free way to clean mats and cut down on infections. Stevens said the idea was inspired by automated vacuums and their own experience as wrestlers. One of their goals is to cut down on bleach-based cleaning solutions for mats and replace them with solutions made from natural ingredients that will not irritate athletes’ skin.

“I think the event went very well,” said senior Logan Hubbard. “A lot of the feedback is going to be really helpful when preparing for the Governor’s Cup pitch we’ll all be doing next semester.” 

The best part, he said, was getting feedback from local entrepreneurs.

“It was influential in that it helped us feel more confident in the validity of our pitch, and what measures we’d need to take to make our product more feasible in the current market.”

Associate Professor of Business and Economics Dr. Angela Buchanan is the faculty advisor for Enactus. She said this year’s pitch session was a success.

“The business plan teams are getting stronger each year,” Buchanan said. “I am looking forward to the Governor's Cup Competition in the spring.”