This week, the Be Your Own Boss Bowl® (BYOBB®) is back!
On Thursday, April 20, join Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI) at Temple University’s Fox School of Business for its 25th annual competition. BYOBB is an interactive and dynamic event where members of the Temple community—students, alumni, faculty and staff—can pitch their ideas, hone their ventures and compete for prizes from in-kind service packages to cash funding! Tune in at 4 p.m. online via our live stream or in-person in the 1810 Accelerator.
Can’t wait until Thursday? Get to know the winners of the 2022 BYOBB. Last year, these eight finalists from the College of Engineering, Fox School of Business and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management shared their ideas and pitched their ventures to members of the Greater Philadelphia entrepreneurial community—earning prizes along with valuable feedback and recognition from their industry idols.
Undergraduate Track Winners
Finalists from the undergraduate track are composed of founders and team members who are still pursuing their undergraduate studies at Temple.
Fourth Place: Laminar Media
Founded by Michael Mangraviti, BBA ’25, and run by a five-person team that includes Mangraviti, Regina Hennessy, BBA ’25, Dylan Wilson, TYL ’25, Matthew Reheil, KLN ’22, and Muyo Kovacevic, BHS ’21, this production company provides high-quality advertisements, music videos and other forms of content for their clients. They specialize in highlighting small businesses within Philadelphia. Mangraviti also helps the Entrepreneurial Student Association (ESA) film their panels and discussions and regularly collaborates with fellow finalist James Calcagni.
Third Place: Agra Watt
Founder Noah Montierth, ENG ’22, is no stranger to pitching. Last year, he entered three IEI competitions! Agra Watt is a company that helps consumers gain credits for using clean energy and helps utility companies track consumer credits.
Second Place: Liquid Limbs
Led by co-founder and CEO James Calcagni, ENG ’22, Liquid Limbs is working to help solve prevalent mobility challenges that disabled people face daily with their product The Navigator. Through the development and manufacturing of innovative prosthetic devices and mobility aids, they are hoping to carry out their mission of improving accessibility, establishing greater independence and increasing the overall quality of life for their clients.
First Place: C.H.A.T. Brace
C.H.A.T. Brace is a medical device created for those suffering from Dropped Head Syndrome, which occurs when one’s neck muscles become too weak to hold their head up straight. This new venture helps those afflicted and is founded by five women: Grace Buckwalter, ENG ’23, Lucy Eppert, ENG ’23, Rachel Gouveia, ENG ’22, Ciara O’Donohoe, ENG ’22, and Elena Paoli, ENG ’22. They worked on this idea for their senior design project at Temple’s College of Engineering. After learning about the competition from a guest lecturer in one of their classes, this incredible team of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) leveraged last year’s BYOBB to advance their innovative new product.
Philip Michael, CEO of the NYCE Group, a fintech firm geared toward real estate investing and the visionary behind Philicon Square and the Tech Mansion complex, located near Temple University’s Main Campus, introduced the award to the C.H.A.T. Brace team. In his introduction, Michael said, “This one is one of my absolute favorites that I’ve seen in a long, long time.” NYCE was also the sponsor for the first-place track prizes for the 24th BYOBB.
Judge Marilyn Anthony also congratulated the C.H.A.T. Brace’s team, saying, “As a group of women engineers, you know what it’s like to be part of a small group—small, but important. This team of smart, creative women willing to combine your abilities to make the world better for those who need your help is inspiring.”
Upper Track Winners
Teams made up of graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff at Temple University present in the upper track of BYOBB.
Fourth Place: Lokal Food Hub Philly
Lokal Food Hub Philly is led and founded by Charisse McGill, STHM ’03, a serial entrepreneur who is known in the Philadelphia area as the “French Toast Bae.” McGill owns the renowned Lokal Artisan Foods, which features products including coffee, beer, ice cream and her signature spices, and was the first Black business owner at the Spruce Street Harbor Park. Her newest venture, Lokal Food Hub Philly, aims to make fresh food more accessible by creating an indoor farmer’s market supplied with local produce and goods. Since the 2022 BYOBB, McGill won the 76ers annual “Buy Black Program” with her original venture, Lokal Artisan Foods.
Third Place: Sun & Star Collective
The Sun & Star Collective was co-founded by Emily Madara, BBA ’22, and Caroline O’Keefe, BBA ’21, and a previous winner of the BYOBB. Starting with the Duo-Case, a sustainably-made eyeglasses case that saves space and can hold two pairs of eyeglasses at once, their venture aims to make high-quality, ethically sourced and eco-friendly versions of trendy accessories.
Second Place: Abstract Soundz
Abstract Soundz by Kenneth Carter, ENG ’11, another serial entrepreneur, won third place in the 21st annual BYOBB. Abstract Soundz combines style and practicality to create a pair of stylish and high-quality headphones, hoping to make headphones a fashion statement and not just a useful tool.
First Place & Grand Prize Winner: Agora World
Agora World, founded by Ethan Berg, BBA ’20, and his co-founder Sky Nite, uses metaverse software to create a world-building platform for everyone from individual users to large-scale businesses. Read about IEI’s experience testing Agora World here.
“It’s really exciting to see a platform at the leading edge of the way we communicate presenting at this year’s BYOBB,” said judge Mark Mitchell.
Greg Fegley, director of IEI accelerator programs, encourages these teams and other future entrepreneurs to take advantage of the free mentoring and accelerator services offered through the IEI to prepare for bright futures. “Through your support of the IEI, we can continue to elevate entrepreneurs and their ventures.”
Learn more about the IEI on our website.