It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 13th year of The Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch contest. In the fall of 2011, President Mark Gearan began the academic year with the theme, “The Power of an Idea.” At the Centennial Center, we took up this challenge and created a program that would allow students to explore and implement their ideas, the Colleges’ first student entrepreneurial leadership contest.
Thirteen years later, The Pitch still embodies the Centennial Center’s values and as we work with student entrepreneurs, we consistently find that to further an idea requires leadership qualities, entrepreneurial spirit, and innovative strategies. By engaging in the various programs at HWS, our finalists identify a problem and set out to identify a viable business that positively impacts the community around them.
Tonight, we celebrate four finalists who will be added to this lively HWS tradition of sharing ideas, comparing concepts and readying student entrepreneurs for real world enterprising. Their efforts are supported by the extraordinary network of HWS faculty, staff, selection committee members, alum mentors and Pitch judges. We’d like to thank the HWS community for a wonderful 13 years and congratulate all those students who have been courageous enough to put forward an idea.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Pliner Associate Provost & Director of the Centennial Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Pitch Sponsor
Todd Feldman has been a successful entrepreneur across multiple industries, including garment and soft goods, entertainment and real estate. A graduate of Hobart and William Smith ’89 (BA Economics), Todd has developed a keen eye for packaging ideas and building businesses for nearly 30 years.
Having started in the manufacturing world, Todd quickly became a top salesperson in a multi-national public corporation, which served him well in his transition into the entertainment business. Todd has produced a feature film and packaged and set up many television shows at major networks and continues to produce and represent established writers and directors in a variety of mediums.
In 2008, Todd and his wife, Jenn, created and patented a revolutionary throw blanket, the Nuddle Blanket, which, at the time, was the only blanket with a foot pocket. The Nuddle Blanket became a favorite of many, including several well-known celebrities and influencers, and can be found on couches around the world.
In 2009, Todd was presented with an opportunity to invest in several real estate deals of a prominent developer of hotel and residential properties, during which time he met an executive who would later become a business partner. In 2011, Todd and this executive co-founded Leonardo247, a real estate software platform, which brings real estate, management and technology together in a ground-breaking new way. Leonardo247 has since grown to become a leader in the multi-family industry.
Todd’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well, recently co-founding another company in the technology/social media space (too early to announce) and having invested alongside über investor, Tim Draper, in PORTL, a California-based Holo-portation start-up, as well as ROLLA, a NYC-based real estate video platform—on which he serves on their Advisory Boards.
Todd and his family are thrilled to be involved in HWS’ Pitch Contest and are looking forward to many years of supporting the young HWS entrepreneurs.
Pitch Judges
Lee Jokl ’05
Director, T. Rowe Price
Lee Jokl is a Director of Growth Strategy at T. Rowe Price. Lee has an extensive background in business strategy development in both corporate and startup environments. Lee has led many critical initiatives supporting T. Rowe’s retail business, ranging from CX to Client Services to Marketing/GTM. Prior to joining T. Rowe, Lee co-founded and served as COO of a venture-backed edtech company, based in Baltimore, MD, called Citelighter. Citelighter successfully built and sold proprietary software to hundreds of schools and school districts across the US, supporting writing instruction in K-12 classrooms. After raising nearly $8M in angel/venture funding, Citelighter was acquired by Sylvan Learning, which still uses Citelighter’s platform to power its writing instruction today. Lee holds an MBA from the University of Rochester, and a Bachelors (Majors: Economics, Latin American Studies) from Hobart College.
Paul Harden '82
Small Business Growth Hub Director, Rhode Island Small Business Development Center
For the past 30 plus years, Paul Harden ’82 has been involved in working with a wide range of small businesses in the start-up and growth phases. After Graduating from Hobart, Paul moved to Boston and got his MBA at Boston University. For over 20 years He was with the RI Commerce Corp. which is the State of Rhode Island Economic development agency. And he is now with the RI Small Business Development Corp. (RISBDC) as the Director for the Greater Newport area.
Over the past 25 years, Paul has reviewed several hundred business plans and worked with owners to refine and clarify their business plans to ensure a better opportunity for funding. He advises clients to focus on the executive summary and the financials as if you don’t capture an investor's interest there, they won’t bother reading the rest of the plan.
In addition to his work in the public sector, Mr. Harden also invested personally in start-up companies in retail, short-term lodging, IT and manufacturing sectors.
Lydia Loizides P'26
Managing Partner & CEO of Talentedly
Lydia Loizides is the Managing Partner and President of Talentedly, a research and advisory firm that partners with ambitious organizations committed to accelerating the growth of their business, their impact, and their people.
A serial entrepreneur with an IPO, joint venture, and two corporate acquisitions in B2C and B2B products and services, Lydia has extensive experience in designing and scaling early to mid-stage organizations, having held senior positions in operations, product management, research, and finance. Before Talentedly, she was the VP of Corporate Planning at Canoe Ventures, a joint venture funded by the six largest cable operators in the U.S., where she was responsible for the Corporate Planning, Business Development, and Research divisions. Previously, she was VP of Interactive Media at Paradigm Talent Agency, responsible for digital business development. As VP/Director of Technology & Media Engagement Analytics at Interpublic Group, she led a team of analysts and software developers focused on developing proprietary platforms that merged multi-platform media analytics. Early in her career, she focused on investment and consumer research and analytics at Ziff Brothers Investments and Jupiter Communications, specializing in technology, media, and telecom. She began her career in product management and development with VSystems, acquired by Esker, and nCompass Labs, acquired by Microsoft.
Lydia has been an Advisor, Expert Shift Member, and Operations Screener at Astia, an investing non-profit, since 2014. She has served on numerous Boards and has published numerous opinion articles and research papers in academic journals and trade periodicals. She was previously an Adjunct Lecturer Center for Design, Digital Arts, and Film at NYU with a focus on organizational design in start-ups. Lydia is a frequent speaker at national leadership and professional trade associations and conferences.
Khawar khokhar ’00
Executive Director, SAKS Health
Khawar has over 25 years of experience in healthcare marketing, market access, and communications strategic planning and activation. He founded SAKS Health in 2017 to provide unique strategic and creative market solutions for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, health system and health & wellness client partners. Khawar knows what it takes to be successful, starting his healthcare career at Cigna and founding five healthcare agencies and divisions across the industry. Having launched over 25 brands and businesses in healthcare, including in the US and Global markets, his leadership and guidance across all marketing, communication strategy and commercialization efforts, drives our success.
Pitch Finalists
Cori Bohan ’27
Major: Undeclared
Stories We Tell Stories We Tell is a nonprofit initiative created to give school aged kids a platform to find their voice and grow comfortable in public speaking. Stories We Tell will provide a firm foundation through workshops and Ted Talk style events for kids to find their passion and potential, all while recognizing the importance of each other’s stories.
Lucas Johnson ’24
Major: Architectural Studies
3Face This project is set to revolutionize the finger boarding community by bringing its creative aspects to the forefront. Collaborating with a diverse group of artists, skaters and enthusiasts, the initiative aims to redefine the boundaries of finger boarding, challenging the conventional perception of what finger boarding can be. The project seeks to address the lack of exposure as a limiting factor and pave the way for finger boarding to evolve into something even greater, with increased members, passion, artistry and a stronger sense of community.
Emily Rourke ’24
Major: Sociology and Environmental Studies
Em’s Threads Tailored for those seeking sustainable, personalized fashion, Em's Threads stands out in both the sustainability and customizable clothing markets. Customers actively contribute to environmental conservation by repurposing clothing that would have been discarded, fostering a deep sense of pride and responsibility. Through a user-friendly platform, customers specify preferences for color, design, fit, and style, resulting in a one-of-a-kind garment crafted with love and care.
Saugat Raj Joshi ’25 & Rex Eidlin ’26
Major: Economics
EcoPack Eco Pack revolutionizes the packaging industry with its eco-friendly, sprayable foam solution derived from mycelium. Our mission is to combat the environmental hazards of traditional packaging materials by offering a sustainable, biodegradable alternative that doesn't compromise on protection and convenience. Eco Pack’s innovative approach allows for a custom-fit, protective foam that expands to fill any container, providing superior insulation and shock absorption. Designed for both individual consumers and businesses, Eco Pack is not just a product—it's a commitment to a healthier planet. Join us in growing a greener future, one package at a time.
Pitch Semi-Finalists
Morgan Adams MSM ’24
Calix Boldt ’25
Ty Gallagher ’24
Jocelyn McKenzie ’18, MHEL ’24
Alex Morse ’25
Juliette Pike ’25
Pitch Mentors
Mike Miller Ph.D. '83
Dan Gilbert '06
Lowell Kronowitz '86, P'27
Rob Collier '73
Ali Marpet '15
Ira Goldschmidt '77
Brian Belfiglio & Amy Unger P'25
Michael Barlow '11
Adam Chaput '07
Meredith Madden '99
Michael ’59 and Ellen ’60 Opell IdeaLab
The Michael ’59 and Ellen ’60 Opell IdeaLab has served as an effective feeder program into The Pitch contest. It also acted as an idea accelerator. A student investment committee in coordination with the Centennial Center reviews student proposals and allocates $5,000 in seed funding to various ideas.
The Centennial Center is deeply grateful for the support we receive from the HWS Community. Specifically, we’d like to thank:
The Judges for challenging our finalists and for their thoughtful questions and wisdom during the selection of the winner.
The Pitch Mentors for guiding the 10 semi-finalists during the second round.
The Selection Committee for reviewing proposals and working to ensure this competition serves as a learning experience for the students involved.
HWS campus colleagues, alumni and community members who served as coaches for finalists as they prepared for the Contest (Jenna Terrell, Steve Brookstein, John Zappia, Elvis Avdic, Peter Budmen, Jim Cecere, Sam Solomon, Corey Christman, Cathy Williams, Gina Kane, Mary Kelly, Chrissy Jacobs, Audrey Roberson, Diana Baker, Tom Drennen, Bo Wright, Dr. Matthew Barr, McKenna Carroll, Kim Guame, John Gonzalez, Jack Harris, Renee Monson, and Ruth Shields).
The Advancement team for their partnership in gathering our mentors and judges.
The Management and Entrepreneurship Department for helping prepare our students for the competition.
Centennial Center’s Faculty Fellow, Professor Craig Talmage, Administrator/Program Coordinator Alton Pace, and interns Reece Wilson, Olivia Crane and Autumn Washington for their dedication towards making this event a success.
The Start-Up Fund Committee for their guidance in preparing the finalists and event support.
The Office of Communications for their wonderful design, print, editorial and marketing support.
Kristen Tapscott for her endless support preparing for the event.
B&G for their great effort to set up the Vandervort room for the final event.
Sodexo for providing delicious food that compliments the event.
The HWS IT team and Syracuse Technologies for the audio/visual experience.
