Entrepalooza Fosters an Entrepreneurial Mindset at NC State

Entrepalooza is not the only place on campus where students can get free ice cream – but it’s the only place where they can win $2,250 within a minute. 

NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted its annual festival Entrepalooza on the lawn in front of Talley Student Union on September 12, offering NC State entrepreneurs the opportunity to sell their products and compete in a pitch contest where they could win a total of $5,000

Around 350 people attended the first Entrepalooza 10 years ago. This year, more than 1000 gathered under blue skies to learn more about entrepreneurship at NC State. 

White tents covered the lawn, inviting students to learn about how NC State Innovation & Entrepreneurship can support them, while also giving them the chance to meet students and alumni who have started their own businesses.

The festival’s growth over the years is reflected in the variety of startups that participated.

These businesses range from designing and developing pharmaceuticals to selling handcrafted soaps made by Bangladeshi women who have overcome human trafficking, creating unique jewelry, and much more.

Arlo Estill, who graduated from NC State’s College of Textiles in 2020, runs the startup Hempsmith that makes clothes from hemp. 

When talking to Estill, you realize how passionate he is about his product. 

“The first American flag was made out of hemp fiber,” Estill said. “And hemp is known for its durability and low impact production.”

Estill worked on the startup while still at NC State University and even participated in Entrepalooza’s Minute to Pitch competition.

“It was a good experience to get up there and put yourself out there,” Estill said. 

After Estills graduation, Hempsmith has been attending Entrepalooza as a vendor. 

“It’s always been a good event for engagement and just getting our name out there and a lot of students are interested,” Estill said. 

Now, Hempsmith has a store in Pittsboro where they hand print, dye, embroider and sell their clothing.

When asked what advice he would give someone that wants to be an entrepreneur, Estillo said: “be persistent, keep up the good work, and success comes with patience.”

Under another tent stood Lindsay Wrege, who graduated from NC State in 2021 with a degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. During her time at State, she co-founded 321 Coffee, a coffee shop that now employs over 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Wrege said when she was growing up, some of her best friends were people with disabilities and that she saw how difficult it was for them to get employment that was meaningful. 

“That was really what we wanted to seek after to change,” Wrege said. “So we found coffee has a low barrier to entry.” 

Wrege said they started a mobile coffee station, renting folding tables from Talley Student Union and buying a coffee maker, all of which they kept in their dorms on campus. 

Wrege said they later opened a shop at the state farmers market, with an espresso machine from Craigslist, cabinets from a doctor’s office that was being torn down, and walls that they built themselves. 

 “It was very homemade, homegrown, but it allowed us to really test out and iterate on the concept,” Wrege said. “And that shop’s now been there for five years, and it’s awesome.” 

Lindsay participated in many of NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s programs, such as the Andrews Launch Accelerator, Miller Fellowship, VenturePack Challenge, Mentorship Program, and more while at NC State.

“The Entrepreneurship department was a huge, huge part of our story,” Wrege said. “We very much appreciate all of the opportunities that the program gave us.”

Today, 321 Coffee has 62 employees and 5 locations, including a new shop on Centennial Campus that opened the morning of the Entrepalooza festival.

The company’s coffee is also available in some grocery stores.

“This summer, we rolled into Food Lion and Whole Foods, which we’re very excited about, and we are looking for more ways to just keep pushing that envelope and letting the product serve as a big symbol for representation of the disability community,” Wrege said.

Wrege recommends that people who are thinking about starting a company should have the courage to take the first step. “Do something and iterate on it,” Wrege said. 

And she revealed something else: “I’m actually not a coffee drinker.” Wrege said that mango iced tea is the best thing on their menu and laughed. 

At the festival, students could not only meet founders like Estill or Wrege, but also tie-dye a t- shirt or grab ice cream – from an NC State alum, no less.

Jared Plummer started Two Roosters with his first ice cream truck in 2015. The company now has six stores and four trucks and stands out with ice cream flavors such as strawberry and honey or coffee-bourbon.

While scooping a truly delicious chocolate ice cream, Plummer gave tips for entrepreneurs. They should not be afraid to try something and to tap into their network to ask for help and feedback, Plummer said. 

And they shouldn’t “neglect the physical part of life,” Plummer said. “Sleep is important. Nutrition is important.” 

The festival’s highlight was the Minute to Pitch It competition, where 10 startups each had one minute to pitch their ideas.

Jada Wyatt, a NC State alumni and Miller fellow, moderated the Minute to Pitch It Competition and welcomed everyone “to the only competition at NC State where you can win over two grand in under a minute.”

Among the contestants were people pitching inflatable tennis balls, a learning platform and a home defense system.

Dr. Sarah Glova, one of the judges, said she was impressed with all of the pitches and that it was a very close competition. 

The three judges have decided to give the Judges’ Choice award, which is worth $2,250 to CardiaSight. 

“CardiaSight is a sleek and comfortable ring that accurately tracks your heart health by simply placing it on your chest,” the team said during the pitch competition. “It detects heart attacks and other emergencies, none of which other wearables like the Apple Watch can do.” 

CardiaSight also participated in the VenturePack Challenge in spring where they received $8,000 which they used to file a provisional patent. The startup wants to use the money it won at the Minute to Pitch It Competition to make their prototype smaller. 

Raghav Sriram, co-founder and CEO of Cardiasight said the team prepared for the pitch competition by repeating their pitch hundreds of times over and over again, “until we started saying it in our sleep.” 

This is something that also convinced the judges. 

“You could tell that they have done their work,” said Jacob Molz, one of the judges.. “I had goosebumps at the end of their pitch.” 

RoamMate won the Audience Choice award, which means that of all the people who watched the pitches, most voted for this startup. This award is also worth $2,250. 

The Startup aims to help students to find an apartment and a community when they move. “”RoamMate connects you with students from your university who are moving to the same new place,” Jagrit Tulsyan, founder of RoamMate said during the pitch competition. 

Jagrit has been involved with Innovation & Entrepreneurship for quite some time. He was an entrepreneurship ambassador, joined the Silicon Valley trip, and participated in the Minute to Pitch It Competition last year as well. 

Tulsyan said he is going to use the money he won to build the prototype of his platform. 

“My number one advice for people who are thinking about starting their own company is to start working on it,” Tulsyan said. “Take the first step and eventually you will figure out what you’re doing.” 

Nature’s Throne won the Judges’ Honorable Mention award which is worth $500. It is a camping chair that also doubles as a portable toilet. 

“Our patent pending design uses a two layer system as well as a removable toilet compartment to ensure that you never have to compromise on comfort or convenience during your outdoor adventures,” Marko Sun, founder and CEO of the startup, said during his pitch. “When nature calls, we’ve got you covered.”

Before the pitch competition at Entrepalooza, Sun participated in the Andrews Launch Accelerator, the Venture Pack Challenge and Wolf Den Pitch Competition. He raised around $10,000 so far and wants to use the money from the Judges’ Honorable Mention to further improve his prototype. 

“I liked his charisma on stage,” Kenneth Wical, one of the judges, said about Sun. “He could tell you exactly where that product was going to be used and why and for who.” 

The festival ended after the pitch competition. 

Harper Martin, a second-year studying computer engineering said he liked Entrepalooza and was impressed by the pitches. 

An exchange student who attended Entrepalooza said he liked to see the different startups and he liked the setup of the pitch competition. 

As Entrepalooza wrapped up, one thing was clear: Entrepreneurship at NC State is alive and well. Whether pitching new ideas or sharing their journeys, many founders shared a common piece of advice—if you’re thinking about founding a business, just start. You’ll figure it out along the way. And NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship is here to help: Students that are interested in entrepreneurship, can get started with the program easily.