Student entrepreneurs at Fairfield University will take center stage April 23 as they compete for $50,000 in seed funding during the school’s Annual StartUp Showcase.
Hosted by the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the event will be held at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts and marks nearly 15 years of the university’s Fairfield StartUp program.
Six student-led teams will pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors in a format similar to the television show “Shark Tank.” The competition is divided into two categories: bootstrap businesses and scalable ventures.
Bootstrap companies typically launch with limited startup capital and rely on early revenue to grow, often in industries such as retail, apparel and food service. Scalable ventures, by contrast, are designed for rapid expansion and usually seek outside investment, a model commonly seen in technology startups.
Three teams in each category — representing both undergraduate and graduate students — will present their ideas in hopes of securing funding to bring their ventures to the next level.
This year’s showcase highlights a wide range of concepts, from sensory tools designed to support individuals with processing challenges to digital platforms aimed at assisting people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The event will be hosted by Sophia Haber Brock, a junior communication major in the John Charles Meditz School of Arts & Sciences.
Organizers say the showcase represents the culmination of months of work, offering students a high-stakes opportunity to turn classroom concepts into real-world businesses.
Meet the 2026 StartUp Teams
Scalable Companies
ALZFOCUS
Tyler Steimel ’27, Phuc Nguyen, Jack Pisciotta ’26
AlzFocus is an easy-to-use app designed to support individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and their families. The app includes calendar notifications and facial-recognition technology that accesses previously loaded photos paired with personal memories recorded by the user, helping individuals unlock what may otherwise be forgotten.
COMPASSLY
Albina Gareeva, Taylor Blue Clarke, Ankitha Bojja, Sidharth Pradhan, Nathaniel Wright ’29
Compassly is an AI-driven SaaS platform designed to help international students navigate the process of moving to the United States. The software platform provides a personalized, step-by-step roadmap for tasks such as finding housing, setting up banking, and securing required documentation—providing reliable guidance in a secure, cost-effective tool.
EVISYNA
Sidharth Pradhan, Mohammed Aslam Hashmi MS’25, Naqibahmed Kadri
EviSyna is an AI-powered research assistant designed to support evidence-based medicine. The platform helps researchers review large volumes of medical studies by automating data extraction and organization, while maintaining human oversight to ensure accuracy in clinical research and health outcomes focus.
Bootstrap Companies
LEAVE IT TO US
Colby Ciampi ’28, Andrew Hefter ’27
Leave It To Us is a subscription-based service that helps seniors comfortably age in their own homes. The company offers seasonal home checkups, preventive upkeep, and coordinated repairs, providing homeowners with a single trusted point of contact for ongoing home maintenance.
SENSY
Carlo Rivieccio
Sensy is a classroom-friendly tool for young students with sensory processing disorders. Placed on a student’s desk and designed to blend in with everyday school materials, the Sensy allows students to manage sensory needs discreetly while staying engaged in class activities.
THE MOSAIC
Yari Soto, Paola Soto, Melina Silvestro ’27
“The Mosaic helps businesses connect authentically with multicultural audiences. Through human-led analysis, creative design, marketing services, and multilingual communication, the company works with clients to develop culturally informed campaigns that build trust and strengthen community relationships.
Empowering Student Entrepreneurs
The annual StartUp Showcase has become a launchpad for student entrepreneurs, many of whom have gone on to grow successful businesses.