FRANKFORT, Ky. — Students from across disciplines pitched venture ideas ranging from AI-powered music tools to culturally rooted culinary concepts during the 2025 Student Pitch Competition at Kentucky State University, sponsored by the School of Business and the Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any major, the event challenged participants to refine bold ideas into business-ready pitches — underscoring a growing culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across campus.

Held Dec. 4, 2025, from 4-8 p.m. in the Carl M. Hill Student Center Ballroom, the competition featured two phases: a written business plan and an oral presentation. Finalists delivered their pitches to a panel of five external judges, with entries evaluated on originality, feasibility, and potential impact.

This year’s winners include:

First place
Mugisha “DrippDaDon” Donatien
WavAid: An AI-Powered Sonic Companion for Modern Music Creation

Second place
Fatou Saidykhan
PrettyT’s African Kitchen: Business Concept

Third place
Paul Harrison Twumasi
The Pathway Digital Application

Donatien, a business administration major, earned first place with WavAid, a concept that blends artificial intelligence and music production to support modern creators. His pitch reflects the School of Business focus on practical, market-ready thinking — preparing students to move from idea to execution through coursework and applied learning.

Saidykhan and Twumasi — both nursing majors — demonstrated how entrepreneurial thinking can advance student success and community needs across disciplines. Saidykhan, mentored by Dr. Sait Sarr, earned second place for a venture rooted in food entrepreneurship, while Twumasi, mentored by Dr. Jennifer Miller, placed third for a digital tool designed to support student pathways. Their success reinforced the competition’s campuswide emphasis on creativity, problem-solving, and real-world impact.

“The Student Pitch Competition is a wonderful opportunity for our students to demonstrate their entrepreneurial skills and creative thinking,” said Dr. Gary Stratton, interim chair of the School of Business. “We are proud of all participants for their dedication, hard work, and innovative ideas.”

Dr. Amanda Fickey, associate director of the Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy, said the School of Business and the Center are eager to build on this year’s momentum and partnerships.

“We were very excited to co-sponsor this event with Awesome, Inc., our central Kentucky regional entrepreneurship hub, and the Frankfort Development Interest Group,” Dr. Fickey said. “We are also grateful to local and regional community members who stepped up to support our students and serve as external judges.”

The annual pitch competition encourages students across disciplines to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and gain valuable experience presenting and defending their ideas to experienced professionals. It also highlights Kentucky State’s commitment to experiential education, including internships and other hands-on learning opportunities that connect students with regional businesses, state government, and the broader community.

For more information about the 2026 Student Pitch Competition, contact Dr. Gary Stratton at gary.stratton@kysu.edu or 502-209-0064.