Competition Categories
Competition Categories
Throughout the year, the Pitch Nights award many students funding and mentoring and each student that wins during a Pitch Night is given the chance to be considered for our largest awards, given out annually at the Innovate! Celebrate! celebration in April. More information regarding these awards will be sent to winners in the spring semester.
Joan F. & John M. Thalheimer ’55 Student Entrepreneurs Competition
The Thalheimer Student Entrepreneurs Competition awards resources to students interested in launching innovative ventures with early stage business models. These include, but aren’t limited to, for-profit startup ideas in any industry, field, or area of interest in technology, science,
non-technical, retail, environment, Internet, products or services, etc.
Michael W. Levin ’87 Advanced Technology Competition
The Levin Advanced Technology Competition seeks to provide resources to student innovators enrolled in the college of engineering, who want to move their early stage technology venture to the next level. The winners of this competition have previously won the Thalheimer competition or have advanced their technology or commercialization efforts to a higher level.
Hans Baer ’47 International Social Venture Competition And Domestic Social Venture Competition
For those who want to make a difference - around the globe or on Bethlehem’s south side. Whether it’s a new technology or innovative service, not-for-profit or profit-for-a-purpose, these competitions seek proposals from students who want to make a big difference & have a plan to do it.
Davis Projects for Peace
Davis Projects for Peace is an invitation to undergraduates at the American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer of 2020. The projects judged by the Davis Foundation to be the most promising will be funded at $10,000 each. The objective is to encourage and support today’s motivated youth to create and try out their own ideas for building peace. All applications for the Social Venture Competitions will be automatically considered for the Davis Projects for Peace. If you want to be considered as a nominee for the Davis prize, you must apply with a Social Venture and pitch at a EUREKA event prior to January 15, 2020.
Joan F. & John M. Thalheimer ’55 Grand Prize for the EUREKA! Competition Series
The Grand Prize is an overarching award that recognizes the student venture from any of the EUREKA! Competitions that shows the most entrepreneurial promise. This year, the winners of the 3 competitions listed above pitched live during our annual Innovate! Celebrate! awards dinner and were judged by 3 area experts.
2020 - 2021 Winners
June 2020
Stage 1:
Steven Escobar-Mendez '22: K'ulmaj sets to help the Judicial Branch of the US in supplying trained law informed dialect translators
Isaac Howenstine '23G: Course scheduling wizard for college students
Katie Koslan '21: My project is a water quality project based in Southside Bethlehem working to provide free or low cost testing kits and filtration systems to the community in order to determine if there are high levels of lead in the water supply then work to remediate the issue in the future.
Annie Norris '22: A performance and practice friendly electronic music stand that helps musicians carry, and keep organized, their large repertoire of sheet music.
Weilin Pan '23: This is an online interactive club expo for first-year international students to feel more connected to Lehigh.
Stage 2:
Kiara Damon '21: Warm, athletic gloves designed strictly for cheerleaders to allow enough warmth and flexibility to continue normal stunting/ tumbling in cold temperatures.
Graham Patterson '20 & Brian Quispe '20: A smart animal trap using image recognition and remote closing/resetting.
Alex Romanowski '23 & Chase Mattingly '23: MicroActive uses a microscope shell, and slide management and notation app to make the microscope experience more interactive than virtual microscopes and more affordable than traditional microscopes.
Michael Rich '23: We offer a no code, self customization tool for companies who need full-scale software applications, for example scheduling management.
Connor Sept '22: I am creating a swim training device that is a flexible leg strap designed to reduce medical risk and increase speed.
Stage 3:
Andrew Fedun '21: Dreamboard brings students the ultimate functionality in personalization, turning any wall into an interactive canvas
Sareena Karim '22: Foli-Q is a start up for a personalized natural hair product including an advanced bioengineered hair testing service
Nick Owens '22, Hank Portney '21, & Cater Schmalzle '22: A mobile app designed to connect students with events and organizations at their school.
August 2020
Stage 1:
Fernando Tamayo Grados '21: A smart water dispenser that tracks consumption and quality of water on demand, thus creating trust that eliminates the need for bottled water, boiling water and cheap filters.
Stage 2:
Graham Patterson '20 & Brian Quispe '20: A "smart" animal capture system which can target certain animals, reset/open remotely, and alert the user with an image of the animal in the cage.
Christian Tirrito '21: A smartphone application that connects caregivers to families and provides critical resources for both parties.
Jack Cunningham '21: An idea management app for creators
Stage 3:
Sareena Karim '22: A venture that provides natural hair enthusiasts and beauty gurus the opportunity to learn about their hair’s properties and receive customizable products so that they can reach their hair goals.
Connor Sept '22: A flexible dual leg strap that prevents the knees from going out too wide during the breaststroke kick: reducing the medical risk associated with the breaststroke kick and resulting in a faster kick.
September 2020
Stage 1:
Salma Elboute '22: Quality affordable skincare products.
Stage 2:
Gabrielle Falk '22 & Arianna Dimitrakis '22: The Fit Magazine is a digital college lifestyle magazine that helps students find their "best fit."
October 2020
Stage 2:
Matthew Gunton '22: LUX helps students meet new people on campus without breaking social distancing.
Stage 3:
Justin Gelwicks '23: Custom engraved wooden lacrosse shafts
Joan F. & John M. Thalheimer ’55 Grand Prize Pitch Competition | April 2020
Congratulations to:
Enterprise Award: Justin Gelwicks '23, Wooden Lacrosse Stick Project
Joan F. & John M. Thalheimer ’55 Grand Prize: Ben Mesnik '20, Gaming Tips Project
Check out photos from all our EUREKA! Pitch Nights!
2019-2020 Winners
2018-2019 Winners
2017-2018 Winners
2016-2017 Winners
2015-2016 Winners
2014-2015 Winners
2013-2014 Winners
2012-2013 Winners
November 2020
Stage 2:
Salma Elboute '22: Simplified skincare brand that promotes inclusivity
Peter Luba '22: A website that helps you find the best time to meet and talk with a group of people
Advaith Nair '22: A modern social platform for users to vibe with communities through the creation of music and audio-driven content
Stage 3:
Graham Patterson '20 & Brian Quispe '20: A smart animal capture system that can target certain animals, reset/open remotely, and alert the user with an image of the animal in the cage