Big Ideas Become Business Pitches at Sharkfest 2026

This past March, Johnson & Wales University celebrated student innovation and entrepreneurial spirit through the annual JWU Sharkfest competition, bringing in over 75 student entrepreneurs both campuses and online in a redesigned, more inclusive setting. This marks a continued effort to integrate and include JWU’s online students into the Sharkfest experience, highlighting innovation both on and off campus. Instead of a limited selection of finalists, this year’s Sharkfest allowed every applicant to pitch their ideas in a trade show style set up, where attendees moved from booth to booth, taking in the students’ pitches and voting for the top presentations via QR code.

This change was intentional. As Director of the Center of Entrepreneurship Jeff Binzcyk ’23 DBA explained, “Last year when we had the competition, we had 40 applicants, but only 5 finalists could pitch their ideas, and I always thought about the 35 that didn’t get a chance to present their ideas. So, we changed the format. If you apply, you get to pitch.” He added that this new format reflects the Entrepreneurship Center’s mission to create a “safe and brave” space for students to develop and pitch their business ideas.

Finding Inspiration for New Business Ideas

For many JWU Sharkfest contestants, the journey begins with a personal experience, one that inspires them to make a change in the world. This year, some ideas grew out of gaps the students may have noticed in their everyday lives and future industries. The Scenic Spot, a food truck concept from Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major Andrea Shoda ’26, was inspired by her years of traveling and working in national parks. Through these experiences, she recognized a lack of convenient, healthy food options for outdoor travelers. “I was able to see first-hand how little food options there are in the outdoor industry,” she said. “I decided to combine my passions and create The Scenic Spot, a food truck concept designed to serve foods such as coffee, granola bars, and wraps outside of national parks."

Others built on businesses they already own to create something new and improved, as seen through the expansion of cupcake selling business Maddy Cakes, by Madeline Stange ’26, who’s expanding into the field of food trucks. Founded in 2019, Maddy Cakes has already expanded from selling at one farmers’ market to multiple, and as her brand developed, so did her vision. Seeing a lack of dessert-focused vendors in her home state of Michigan, she decided to create a mobile truck to provide wider access to sweet treats for those in her community. “The idea of turning Maddy Cakes into a mobile dessert truck came from recognizing a gap in access to the world of sweets in the local market,” she said. “There are few vendors that focuse solely on desserts.”

For Business Administration major and JWU men’s golf team member Parker Legreid ’29, this journey was much more personal. Having dealt with Type 1 Diabetes from a young age, his business idea focused on improving the lack of early awareness around this disorder, and early diagnosis through engaging learning experiences. “I realize there is a gap in both education and awareness when it comes to early onset Type 1 Diabetes,” he said. “From there I began developing an idea centered around making this information more accessible and memorable.” His goal is to hopefully create hands-on learning experiences and content to help other young people recognize the warning signs before it becomes life threatening.

He wasn’t alone in this, as fellow winner and Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship major Isabella Mock ’27 also began her journey with a personal experience. Having worked in childcare for over two years, Mock noticed an opportunity in the form of Just Add Sugar, a subscription box service tailored for families to make and bake fun desserts while tying in real life concepts through math. Each box contains shelf-stable ingredients, recipe cards, math worksheets, and QR codes for easy step-by-step guides. “This product uplifts the youth and inspires young minds to think critically,” she said.

Building the Pitch

Once their ideas take shape, students move into the next phase: turning this inspiration into an actual business pitch. Students work tirelessly to refine their concepts, identify specific audiences, and communicate the identified problem and solution in a clear and concise manner. Many found JWU’s Entrepreneurship Center (aka The Launch Pad) imperative to the entire process, helping them formulate and refine their ideas. “Working with Dr. Jeff Binczyk has been such a huge help,” Shoda said. “He helped me organize my ideas and build connections.” Legreid added, “The Launch Pad played a huge role in helping me shape and tweak my idea into a strong pitch.”

As Sharkfest approaches, students begin preparing their presentations. For some, the prospect of pitching to hundreds of JWU community members was daunting. “It felt very vulnerable to present something I had been working on for a long time,” Shoda said. “I grew comfortable with it and really enjoyed the conversations and feedback.”

Many described this experience as both exciting and rewarding, in effort and time. “Sharing the work I’ve been passionate about with my peers and professors was incredibly fulfilling,” Stange said. Legreid later added that “It showed me that people genuinely care about the idea and what it could do.” 

While Sharkfest ultimately culminates in the final pitch, students emphasized that the experience extends beyond the competition itself. It gave them a chance to test ideas born from real experiences, refine them through mentorship and share them publicly with confidence. “It pushes you to take action rather than just think about ideas,” Legreid said.

Winners from both campuses received grant funding to help launch and implement their ideas, as well as the opportunity to attend an entrepreneur networking conference this fall. From food trucks to nonprofit initiatives, JWU Sharkfest continues to show how personal experience and inspiration can become purposeful ventures, and how sometimes a little push is all that’s needed to make change.

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