Florida Atlantic University’s 16th annual Business Pitch Competition saw a diverse group of winners from different tracks, including NanoSense, Aryana Sahai’s Ladlis, Pa’ Picar & Llevar, and the Barracks Legend Foundation. The competition attracted students and veterans from across the university who pitched their entrepreneurial ideas for a chance to win seed money for their businesses.
In the student track, NanoSense, founded by FAU High dual-enrollees Noor Habona and Abigail Sinu, won with their innovative device that uses compounds in people’s breath to detect medical conditions like lung cancer, tumors, and asthma. In the youth track, seventh grader Aryana Sahai from A.D. Henderson University School won for her sustainable handcrafted bracelet organization called Ladlis, which supports young girls’ education in India.
The Spanish language track saw Monica Zuluaga and Nancy Moreno take home first place with their family-owned food company Pa’ Picar & Llevar. Meanwhile, the veteran track was won by the Barracks Legend Foundation, a nonprofit supporting veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
The competition was judged by founders of local companies like Celsius and 4EverYoung, as well as the Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce. Other finalists also received seed money for their businesses. The competition concluded with the FAU Innovation Awards Ceremony recognizing winners from the Business Pitch Competition alongside those from the Florida Wave competition and Tech Runway Atlantic Pitch competition.
To view a full list of runner-ups in each competition category visit Florida Atlantic University’s website.