Local Collegiate Teams Shine in Allegany County Startup Competition: PionEar Secures Third Place

PionEar, a communication system for football players, won third place in the 4th annual AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition. The system, developed by sport management students Nick Valentino, David Harrell, and Evan French, attaches to a player's helmet for direct communication during practices. They were mentored by Boh Ruffin from Corning Incorporated and Tony Aquilina from Alfred State College and won a $1,000 prize.

The Viewer’s Choice Award and a $250 prize went to Campus Forum. This online platform, developed by ASC architecture students Jackson Eigg, Eli Dunn, James Macdonald, and Jackson Volosik, connects students to jobs and services. It aims to centralize the market for student labor and connect students and local businesses.

The 2024 AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition was won by Alfred University's Caleb Lesswing and Montana Weidman with their company Vitrum Everlasting. They create unbreakable glassware with a new technology for home consumers and business owners. The glassware includes ion-strengthened wine glasses, spirit glasses, and pint glasses, and is dishwasher safe and antibacterial.

Second place went to Alfred University's Emily Agnello and Sienna Cefalu with their company Insights into Answers, winning a $2,500 prize. Other participating teams included Clearly Solar, Campus Smart Parking, Made to Fit, and The Mental Playbook.

The competition was judged by Brooke Harris, Casey Joyce, and Albert Rivera. Ashleigh Madison, the Executive Director of IncubatorWorks, praised the competition for its ideas, innovations, and student-led pitches. The competition was funded by grants, partnerships, and sponsors from Alfred University, Alfred State College, Allegany County, and the ACCORD Corp. IncubatorWorks supports startups and small businesses and fosters entrepreneurial growth in the area.

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