2026 Panasci Business Plan Competition Awards $40,000 to Student Entrepreneurs

First-place winner Bruno Arriola Flores and David Panasci. 

From a clinical AI platform serving thousands of medical professionals across Latin America to a sustainable fashion venture that has sold more than 1,300 garments at pop-up markets, this year’s Panasci Business Plan Competition showcased some of the most ambitious and innovative student entrepreneurs at Syracuse University. 


Held April 10 at the Whitman School of Management, the annual event is organized by the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises and is open to all students across the University. The competition awarded $40,000 in prizes to student ventures that demonstrated the strongest potential for growth and outside investment. More than 40 teams applied this year; 16 advanced to the semifinal round and five earned spots in the live pitch finals in a format the audience quickly recognized as its own version of Shark Tank. 


“Working with students as they applied and competed in one of the most rigorous competitions on campus has been incredible. From early-stage ideas to scaling ventures, it’s been exciting to see the range of startups this year. I look forward to continuing to support these founders as they grow beyond this moment,” says Indaria Jones, program manager of Couri Hatchery. 


The competition is made possible through the generosity of alumni sponsors David Panasci ’80, president of DHP Consulting, who sponsored the first, second and third place awards; Scott Friedberg ’14, founder and CEO of Gilded Social, who sponsored the Gilded Social Rising Entrepreneur Award; and Nick Monzi ’11, CEO and co-founder of Learn Fresh, who sponsored the Learn Fresh Award for Social Entrepreneurship. 


Bruno Arriola Flores ’28 (ESC) and co-founder Benjamin Arriola Flores took first place and $20,000 for MedicFlow, a clinical AI platform that delivers evidence-based research to healthcare professionals in under 10 seconds. Designed to reduce the research burden during patient care, MedicFlow integrates regional protocols with real-time translation to support practitioners across Latin America. The platform is live on the app store, serves more than 5,400 active medical professionals and has built a social media following of more than 78,000. MedicFlow is also a participant in the Whitman ’CUSE Venture Accelerator. 


“Winning Panasci is incredibly meaningful because it shows that the work we are doing matters and that Whitman believes in it,” says Arriola Flores. “This funding allows us to keep building by completing key technical milestones and moving forward with an offer already on the table.” 


Nathan Brekke ’26 (ESC), ’27 MBA and Joshua Varkey ’26 (ECS) earned second place and $7,500 for Phloat, a magnetically attachable flotation device that brings submerged smartphones back to the surface. The team has a working prototype and recently filed for a patent. Funding will support initial production and development of a scalable manufacturing process. 


Holly Anderson ’26 (A&S) placed third and received $2,500 for Awkward Fish, a venture that redesigns thrifted clothing into modern, size-inclusive pieces through art-based customization. Since launching, Awkward Fish has generated more than $47,000 in revenue, sold over 1,350 garments and participated in more than 31 pop-up markets and collaborations. 

Holly Anderson, Bruno Arriola Flores, David Panasci, Nathan Brekke and Joshua Varkey.

The Learn Fresh Award for Social Entrepreneurship and $5,000 went to Founders Without Borders, founded by Laurenne Yomi Mvete ’25, ’26 M.S. The experiential development program partners with organizations to provide exposure to entrepreneurial ecosystems connected to mission-driven organizations. The program launched a pilot in Cape Town, South Africa in January 2026, generating $12,000 in revenue and securing partnerships with Syracuse University and other international organizations. 


The Gilded Social Rising Entrepreneur Award and $5,000 went to EXCHKR, co-founded by Gabi Josefson ’28 and Mitchell Breakstone ’28. EXCHKR is a platform that simplifies how student organizations manage payments and track budgets. The award will support development of the platform’ s minimum viable product. 

David Eilers, Nick Monzi, Zachary Sussman, Peter Forsgren, Rickey Brown, David Panasci, Carlton Semp, Peter King, Frank Shultz and Fiza Hashmi. 

The competition was judged by a panel of ’CUSE50 honorees and alumni executives, including David Eilers ’80 (NEW), Frank Shultz ’03, Scott Friedberg ’14, Patrick Luckett ’12, Zachary Sussman ’22, Bennett Tanton, Peter King ’08, Daniel Penberthy, Ryan Benz ’11 M.S., James Farrell G’19 (A&S), Fiza Hashmi, Nick Monzi ’11, Frank Massey, Rickey Brown ’95, Carlton Semp ’16 (ECS), Peter Forsgren G’97 (MAX) and Janice Harvey ’73, ’85 MBA. 


For more information on student startup resources at the Whitman School, visit the Couri Hatchery Student Business Incubator.