Each year, the AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition brings together students who want to test ideas that can actually become businesses in the future. The competition invites students from Alfred University, Houghton University, and Alfred State College to pitch their startup business ideas in front of judges, compete for cash prizes, and see if what they built holds up.
This year’s competition, scheduled for April 11, will be hosted by Houghton University.
For many Alfred University students, an entrepreneurial mindset starts in classes like BUSI 106 (Contemporary Business), in which first-year students write business plans, create a pitch for their plans, and ultimately make their business plans a reality. All profits are donated to charities selected by the students. Instead of just thinking “this is a cool idea,” students are encouraged to ask: “Does this solve a problem, who is it for, and why would anyone care?”
Jean Ellefson, assistant professor of analytics in Alfred’s College of Business, and one of the faculty involved in organizing the AHA! competition, explained that these early courses are where students begin to see ideas as opportunities. From there, programs like the Institute for Experiential Entrepreneurship (IEE) Fellows and other hands-on experiences help develop that thinking further.
Senior Artem Kolisnychenko, a member of the winning team from last year’s fifth annual AHA! competition, described his experience starting from his first year at Alfred University.
“Courses at Alfred, especially BUSI 106, taught me to look at ideas not just as something interesting, but as actual business opportunities,” Artem said. “That way of thinking became essential when I was standing in front of judges and needed to make my idea make sense quickly.”
Artem, along with Matthew Bittel, senior ceramic engineering major, Ryan Haggerty, sophomore ceramic engineering major, and Mike Pinney ’25 (B.S., ceramic engineering) took first place in the 2025 competition after pitching their business idea: DeCayse, a maker of biodegradable phone cases. The team claimed the $5,000 top prize.
Youtube video 2025 AHA! Competition
One of the biggest challenges, according to Artem, was not building the idea, but cutting it down. “We had a lot to say and a lot to share, but unfortunately, a lot was cut for the sake of efficiency.” With limited time, the team had to focus only on the core: what is being offered, who it is for, and why it matters. That process forces clarity. You realize very quickly what is important and what is not.
Another key part of AHA! is the team dynamic. Students come together from different backgrounds—business, engineering, and creative—and that mix directly shapes the outcome. Artem was the only business student on a team of engineers. However, instead of creating a disadvantage, the diversity made the project stronger.
“The best teams are the ones where people bring different backgrounds and perspectives,” he said. “It pushes you to think differently, challenge each other, and actually improve the idea instead of just agreeing with each other.”
Beyond the competition itself, the biggest takeaway is communication. Being able to understand an idea deeply, especially something technical, and then explain it clearly to someone else is not easy, but very necessary. Artem noted that learning how to break down complex ideas and present them to judges was one of the most valuable skills he gained, especially with his goal of starting a business in the future.
Ultimately, the AHA! competition is not just about winning. It is about learning how to think, how to build, and how to present under pressure. It is one of those experiences where students step out of the classroom and realize what it actually takes to turn an idea into something real.
The AHA! 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.
Story written by Andrii Maltsev '27
