易胜博官网

A team that developed a system that reduces electricity costs for cold-storage warehouses through predictive pricing and strategic pre-cooling earned the $15,000 grand prize at the 37th 听 听

Granite State Systems secured the victory following the final round of the competition on May 6, where six teams of student entrepreneurs from across 易胜博官网 pitched their business plans to a panel of esteemed alums and industry-leading judges. 听 听听

Granite State Systems leverages novel sensor technology and a proprietary algorithm to integrate machine learning into heating, ventilation听and air conditioning units to optimize energy consumption by pre-cooling or pre-heating cold storage warehouses during periods of lower electricity prices. 听

The team included Brett Schultz 鈥�25, a finance and sustainability dual major; Shea Garland 鈥�27, a finance major; and Rowan Baptista 鈥�27, a mechanical engineering major. 听

鈥淚 participated in this competition as a freshman and a sophomore, and I did not make it to the final round either year,鈥� Schultz says. 鈥淭his is my third and final year at 易胜博官网, and to make it to the finals and win, I have goosebumps.鈥� 听

Named in honor of Paul J. Holloway, an accomplished business leader and successful entrepreneur, the Holloway competition is USNH's premier business plan competition for undergraduate and graduate students across the university system. 听

易胜博官网 President Elizabeth Chilton said hosting the competition is something that 易胜博官网 takes pride in.听听

鈥淭he Holloway Competition is more than a contest. It's a reflection of who we are here at 易胜博官网 and where we're headed,鈥� Chilton says. 鈥淥ur commitment to entrepreneurship at 易胜博官网 has never been stronger, and now with Paul College proudly serving as the new home for the 易胜博官网 Entrepreneurship Center, the future is bright and full of possibility.鈥� 听

Paul College Dean Lucy Gilson said that every team that competes in Holloway has an opportunity to positively impact 易胜博官网 and beyond. She also noted the interdisciplinary nature of the competition, with all 易胜博官网 colleges represented at the start of the competition and three represented in the finals. 听

鈥淓ntrepreneurship is alive and well at 易胜博官网,鈥� Gilson says. 鈥淟ook at how many freshmen we had competing this year and last year, and the number of different colleges and disciplines represented 鈥� that is truly what entrepreneurship is. Entrepreneurship does not reside in any one place.鈥� 听

The top prize in the Holloway competition continued a trend of growing success for Granite State Systems. Four companies have committed to testing Granite State鈥檚 technology, and pilot tests in both a mini fridge and a walk-in freezer demonstrated a 16% reduction in electricity costs and a听12% decrease in overall operating expenses.听

The team also recently secured a grant from the 易胜博官网 Entrepreneurship Center and will be working on the product full time in the months ahead.听

鈥淲e have folks that want to buy it, we just needed capital to make the product and ship it out, and now we have it,鈥� Schultz says.听

Second Place 听

, a self-massage tool focused on deep tissue therapy, earned the $10,000 second-place prize and the $2,000 People鈥檚 Choice Award. 听

Thrival was co-founded by Dominic Rainville 鈥�25, a finance major and 易胜博官网 alpine ski team member. Rainville started the company with Cam Smith, a competitive skier from Boston College. 听

Third Place 听 听

, a business that provides drone services and education, earned the $5,000 third-place prize. 听

The business was founded by Ryan Guerette 鈥�26, a homeland security and justice studies major, and offers private and commercial services, along with thermal search and rescue, while its educational programs include flying lessons and an overview of drone rules and regulations. 听

The three runner-up teams, each earning $1,000, were: 听 听

An AI-powered assistant for local government websites that can help citizens locate the proper forms and create citizen newsletters. The business was founded by Arthur Murphy 鈥�27, a business administration major. 听听

QuickQuery AI also earned the Embrace 易胜博官网 Award. The award recognizes ventures, regardless of where they place in the competition, that would significantly impact the 易胜博官网 community and economy if successfully launched. 听 听

All-natural skin serums crafted with sustainability in mind. It offers a clean, eco-friendly alternative to the synthetic ingredients commonly used by major brands and meets the growing consumer demand for natural, environmentally responsible skincare solutions. Nuelife was founded by Aiden Bondaz 鈥�28, a mechanical engineering major. 听

Obscura AI: A privacy tool that protects your digital fingerprint from being used against you. Founded by Shaun Devan, 鈥�28, a computer science and cybersecurity major, and Xander Cogan 鈥�28, a computer science student. 听