Teams of students from Alfred University claimed the first- and second-place prizes in the fifth annual AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition, held Saturday, April 12, on the Alfred State College campus.
Teams of students from Alfred University claimed the first- and second-place prizes in the fifth annual AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition, held Saturday, April 12, on the Alfred State College campus.
Three teams from Alfred University, two from Houghton University, and one from Alfred State College presented their ideas for creating a new business to a panel of three judges. Winning teams were awarded cash prizes, which can be used to put their business plans into action.
The Alfred University team of Matthew Bittel, junior ceramic engineering major, Ryan Haggerty, first-year ceramic engineering major, Mike Pinney, senior ceramic engineering major, and Artem Kolisnychenko, junior finance major, and their company, DeCayse, won the competition and the $5,000 grand prize. Jason Morrison, Alfred University assistant professor of finance, was faculty advisor.
DeCayse is focused on creating biodegradable phone cases, Haggerty said. “We want to offer eco-friendly alternatives that reduce plastic waste and address the need for more sustainable solutions.”
The Alfred University team of Jessica Matson, first-year business administration major, Peyton McInnis, first-year accounting major, Paige Stansfield, first-year business administration major, Zoe Zimmerman, first-year mathematics major, and Carlos Gonzalez, first-year, academic exploration, and their company, Saxon Shield, finished second and took home a $2,500 prize. Saxon Shield makes odor absorbing pouches made from charcoal and bamboo which are sustainable, scentless, and reusable.
“Our main goal is to provide eco-friendly solutions to odors for athletes and contribute to our community,” said Matson, noting that 100 percent of profits from sales of the product will be donated to IMPACT, a local organization dedicated to preserving nature trails in Allegany County, in keeping with Saxon Shield’s mission of sustainability.
Jean Ellefson, assistant professor of analytics at Alfred University, served as faculty mentor for Saxon Shield.
A team from Alfred State—J&J Indoor Putt Putt Golf—won third place in the competition and claimed a $1,000 prize. A team from Houghton University won the Viewer’s Choice Award and $250.
Members of the other team that competed for Alfred University were Idalia Paula, Sekou Camara, Phillip Peterson, Kayce Crawford and their business, Allegany Adornment. Ellefson served as faculty mentor.
Judges for the competition were Casey Joyce, former president of Otis Minnesota Services and an energy and construction professional; Jeff Stager, director of business and community development for ACCORD Corp.; and Ethan Ruot, senior business development officer and assistant vice president at Pursuit Lending.
For the AHA! Competition, teams of undergraduate students have been working hard to identify a business need in our area and how they would solve a problem for their customers and turn that into a viable business. Students have had the guidance of knowledgeable industry and academic mentors along the way.
The mission of the competition is to:
- Bring together students from the three Allegany County colleges to work together to move the local economy forward.
- Cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit in the student population.
- Retain the talent of young professionals in Allegany County.
- Help the growth of area small businesses.
- Provide real-world experiential learning opportunities for students.
Youtube video 2025 AHA! Competition
The competition is a partnership of Alfred University, Alfred State College, Houghton University and IncubatorWorks. It is made possible through a committee of partners from Alfred University, Houghton University, Alfred State College, IncubatorWorks, Allegany County, Western NY Wilds, the ACCORD Corporation, and the Western New York Incubator Network. Event sponsors are The Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) at Alfred University, the Alfred University College of Business, Alfred State College, and Sealing Devices Inc.
IncubatorWorks provides programming and services for ceramics and glass science startups as well as Main Street businesses. The organization plays a vital part in fostering growth of entrepreneurial enterprises and small businesses in the surrounding areas with a focus on Allegany, Chemung, Steuben, and Schuyler counties.
Alfred University served as host for the inaugural 2021 competition, as well as the 2022 and 2024 events. In 2024, teams from Alfred University took first and second place.