Emma Mooney 鈥�28 wanted the judges to know that the interior design business is not always as glamorous as it seems. She was pitching her business idea, Lorraine Library, an online platform and subscription service aimed at simplifying the unwieldy process of acquiring textile and wallpaper samples. Mooney鈥檚 concept earned her the first place prize and $600 at this year鈥檚 Elevator Pitch Competition, hosted by Start@Shea, the student executive board of the Edmund H. Shea Jr. Center for Entrepreneurship.
From a pizza vending machine designed for sports stadiums to apps for tracking your carbon footprint, the ideas shared at the competition showcased a wide range of student talent to the delight of the boisterous audience. The annual event, held October 28, was described as 鈥渢he most competitive we have ever had鈥� by Joe Anania 鈥�26, a Start@Shea board member. Students and Boston College community members filled the Heights Room and showed their support for their favorite pitches with colorful, inflatable noise makers.
Emma Mooney '28
The idea for Lorraine Library came straight from Mooney鈥檚 own industry experiences. After working for an interior design firm, she had learned that fabric and wallpaper samples are the most important part of the business. Lorraine Library would be an online subscription service where designers could register for an account and request samples from countless vendors, all from a centralized platform.
鈥淐urrently the fabric and wallpaper market is globally worth six billion dollars,鈥� she explained, but went on to say 鈥渢he process of getting samples of these products into the hands of designers is incredibly inefficient.鈥� That鈥檚 due to one primary issue: Designers must register for trade accounts individually with countless vendors, making it difficult and time-consuming for designers to try new products, especially those from smaller vendors. Lorraine Library would instead make the process as easy as hopping online to do some shopping.
The 11 student teams that made it to the finals鈥攐ut of more than 50 initial applicants鈥攚ere each given 60 seconds to pitch their business ideas, followed by a two-minute Q&A session with a panel of judges that included Peter Bell 鈥�86, a senior advisor for Amity Ventures and a general partner for Boston College alumni-run SSC Ventures; Suzanne Norris, a managing partner at Visible Ventures with extensive experience in the retail fashion industry; and Mike Buckley 鈥�16, an investor at Belmont Capital and cofounder of Lynx Fitness Club.聽
JP Dargati '28
鈥淲ho do you think the customer is [for this product]?鈥� Buckley asked Lucas Schmidt, MCAS 鈥�26, as he pitched the idea for Wohlsein, a compact, customizable over-the-counter medication and medical product organization pouch, and accompanying refill service.
Schmidt explained that although business travelers were his target demographic, Wohlsein was designed to solve a broadly relatable problem. He and his friends were tired of finding themselves without a Tylenol when a headache would strike or having to dig through a disorganized bag to find relief. Schmidt even pulled out a plastic bag filled with an assortment of loose medications to illustrate his point and several audience members laughed in recognition.
Wohlsein, which means good health or wellness in German, would track the expiration dates of the products included in the pouches and offer timely delivery of refills through its online platform, he said, 鈥渂ecause what we value most at Wohlsein is your peace of mind.鈥� The idea landed Schmidt the second-place prize of $400.
Crowd favorite award-winner JP Dargati 鈥�28 pitched Domani, his one-stop-shop consulting company that is 鈥渄edicated to helping middle-market seniors and their families plan for a brighter tomorrow,鈥� he said. Domani would help seniors who wouldn鈥檛 be considered wealthy, but also don鈥檛 qualify for programs like Medicaid, get tailored recommendations and access to healthcare and insurance resources as they plan for retirement.
While Dargati wants to guide seniors through retirement planning, Xingyan Henry Wang, MCAS 鈥�25, is focused on assisting vulnerable populations navigate essential social services.
鈥淭he generative AI industry is on the cusp of a revolution,鈥� explained Wang. One of the ways he thinks the technology can be used for good is through RAGTIME, his idea for an AI-driven hotline designed to close linguistic gaps. During his time in Boston College鈥檚 PULSE Program, Wang witnessed the struggles people face trying to access social services or complete required paperwork due to language barriers. RAGTIME, which won third place in the competition, would connect those in need with an expert, multilingual AI agent available 24/7, allowing individuals to get real-time feedback and answers so they can get solutions faster.
As the judges helped wrap up the evening, Norris turned to the finalists sitting in the audience and offered them major kudos, saying that being able to get up in front of peers and judges alike and present these ideas 鈥渋s a huge huge testament to your courage and commitment and your grit, which is exactly what every entrepreneur should have.鈥�
Before audience members began to disperse, last year's Elevator Pitch Competition winner, Caroline Driscoll, MCAS 鈥�27, had one final pitch. She encouraged those in attendance with entrepreneurial aspirations, but no idea where to start, to get involved with , Start@Shea鈥檚 idea incubator program and workshop series. If they did, they just might find themselves taking home the competition鈥檚 top honor next year.聽
