Eight students made up six teams that pitched their ventures in the final round of Bucknell BizPitch 2026 on Monday, April 13. Pitches ranged from personal assistant and community-finding apps to athletic gear to launchable, educational satellites to community-changing incubator systems. Here’s a rundown of the pitches and awards.
First Place
Ikusasa – Omuhle Ndhlovu ’27
Ikusasa is a youth empowerment initiative focused on entrepreneurship and opportunity access for young people in Zimbabwe. More here.
Second Place & Changemaker
Avakas Lab – SooAh Lay ’27
Avakas Lab is creating new ways for children to experience engineering by creatively merging education and experience. More here.
Third Place – a Tie
Club Ralley – Abby Platt ’26 & Jaycie Mair ’27
Club Ralley is a platform that helps athletes stay in the game post-graduation. More here.
ForcedOut – Jessica Benattar ’26 & Caitlyn Scott ’27
ForcedOut is an athletic glove liner strategically developed to optimize performance and comfort. More here.
Fan Favorite
Local Loop – Anna Ottman ’26
Local Loop is a platform to help people get more connected with their communities. More here.
Finalist
Milnk – Emannuel Mudungwe ’28
Milnk is a tool for college students to streamline their career planning process. More here.
Rising Star
Buck Block – Henry Melrose ’29, Carter Applegate ’29 & Vance Johnson ’29
Buck Block is a tool that allows students to block out distractions such as social media and focus during study sessions.
See the BizPitch 2026 finale on YouTube.