Student Startups Shine at Accelerate’s $10k Leopard Launch Pitch Competition

The atmosphere at Wentworth Institute of Technology buzzed as the Leopard Launch pitch competition unfolded, a highlight of Wentworth Weekend. Organized by Accelerate, Wentworth’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, the event gave six student startup teams the chance to compete for top prizes, including a grand prize of $10,000.  

After a competitive application process, where numerous reviewers evaluated student-run businesses, these six teams were selected to pitch their ventures on stage. The startups, representing industries ranging from fashion to AI, children’s toys, and health tech, spent two weeks refining their presentations to showcase the hard work behind their visions. 

Each team had just five minutes to impress the panel of judges, followed by another five minutes of Q&A. Ultimately, the grand prize of $10,000 went to Cameron Hsu and Conor Baron for innovio, an innovative children’s toy company. 

Second place belonged to Jaden Reid and Nick Spooner of SenStep, who earned $5,000 for their health tech walker solution. Thanks to a generous last-minute donation, two third-place winners were awarded $2,500 each: Emma Conant of EveryBody Swimwear and Hayden Desmond of Peeko Clothing, both impressing the audience with their community-driven fashion companies. 

Wentworth supporters consisting of students, families, alumni, faculty, and staff all came out to see and support the next wave of entrepreneurial talent, while connecting with even more student entrepreneurs who showcased their products in a business marketplace before and after the competition. The energy was vibrant as the audience celebrated the ingenuity and determination of Wentworth’s rising innovators, which only grows more impressive with each passing year.