USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship

Start the semester with the Nault Center! Join us for our Virtual Kickoff at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 to meet our team, learn about our programs and services, and discover entrepreneurship opportunities at USF.

Can't make it live? No problem—the session will be recorded, and we'll share it afterward so you won't miss a thing.

Join us on Microsoft Teams: usf.to/fallkickoff26

Stop by the Nault Center booth during the Muma College of Business Week of Welcome! Meet our team, learn about our programs and discover ways to get involved this year. Plus, declared business majors can enjoy free food and T-shirts while supplies last.

Congratulations to our new Titans Andy Hafer, Jennifer Sineway, and Allen Clary on being named to the 2026 Tampa Bay Titan 100! Read how these leaders are helping shape the future of entrepreneurship at USF and beyond: usf.to/titanstory

High school students are spending their summer exploring new interests and building new skills through USF's summer camp programs. Watch the video and learn more about the camps at USF St. Petersburg.

Read the full story: usf.to/july26stpetecamp

USF Youth Experiences

From competing in RAIN to connecting with Tampa Bay's entrepreneurial ecosystem through USF CONNECT, Melina Korovessi shares how these experiences have impacted her journey.

Read her story in our latest student spotlight: usf.to/melina

We’re excited to share the results of the inaugural RAIN (Risk Assessment for Initial Needs) Startup Plan Competition, powered by Gilbert, Kim and Family. This event, held at the end of spring on the Tampa campus, was an exciting new take on a traditional business plan competition.

Instead of focusing solely on what investors see, this competition emphasizes developing a comprehensive internal startup plan, including identifying risks, establishing a margin of safety, conducting a break-even analysis, and mapping out the allies and partners needed for success.

A huge thank you to Gilbert Gonzalez for making this event possible, developing the methodology, and serving as both a judge and speaker on pitch day!

Another big thank you as well to judges Andy Hafer and Gary Hensley for providing quality feedback and mentorship to students teams.

Congratulations to the winners:

1st Place ($3500)
Referral Hub (Sudeepa Pasupuleeti & Jackson Poynor)

2nd Place ($2500)
Wonder in Tampa Bay (Juliana Camargo Torres & Samhitha Prabhakar)

3rd Place ($1500)
CapCycle (Melina Korovessi)

All Runner Ups ($500)
Double You (Maximilian Fido)
EzBoss (Joaquin Guerra Franco)
Groovy Smoothie Pop (Darren Booth)
Merit and Muscle Movers (Jordan Quinlivan)
Wakey (Jose Sarmento, Pablo Abesada, Jose Guilherme, Timothy Hawks)

Earlier this week, we hosted the final pitch day for the Hafer “THRIVE” Pre-Seed Award Program, showcasing another incredible semester of innovation and entrepreneurship. Each semester, this program opens applications to faculty and students, giving teams the opportunity to pitch their ventures for up to $10,000 in funding. This time, 11 teams presented their ideas in front of a panel of expert judges.

A huge thank you to judges Lance Raab, Brian Deming, Tom Wallace, Jennifer Sineway and Kevin Bass for sharing their time and expertise. A special thank you as well to Andy and Eileen Hafer for their generous support in making this event possible. Read the full story about their recent impact on our students at usf.to/haferstory.

Congratulations to our winners:

Addison Bounds winning $10,000 with Elora, wearable technology that helps users identify drink tampering

Darren Booth winning $5,000 with Groovy Smoothie Pops, healthy protein-packed ice pops

Nicholas Eisengrein winning $5,000 with 9Yaps, an app that features local business discounts

Jackson Poynor and Sudeepa Pasupuleeti winning $5,000 with Simple Referral, which converts lost healthcare referrals into patient visits

We’re excited to see the next round of innovative ideas presented this fall!

Recently, we hosted the 2026 USF x TGH Innovation Healthcare Pitch Competition, where participants developed scalable, real-world solutions to today’s healthcare challenges.

Students from across Florida competed, representing the University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Tampa, State College of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Florida.

Thank you to Tampa General Hospital’s Innovation Center for hosting and for your generous support in making this event possible.

Here are our 2026 winners:

1st Place ($5,000)
Jakab Kabai, Tony Nguyen and Dang Nguyen (USF)
AI-powered cardiac surgery copilot

2nd Place ($2,000)
Hemdutt Rao and Kai McFarlane (USF)
Clinically guided eyewear marketplace

3rd Place ($1,000)
Alejandro Paneque, Lorenzo Bazzani and Ananya Bhatheja (UCF)
AI-powered pediatric sepsis predictor

This year, we also introduced a special award in memory of David Pizzo, recognizing a student whose innovation reflects compassion, leadership and a commitment to improving affordability, accessibility and outcomes for underserved communities.

David Pizzo Memorial Award ($2,000)
Addison Bounds and Kiara Robichaud (USF)
Drink-spiking detection wearable

A huge thank you to our judges, Chris Pizzo, Dr. James Taylor, Dr. Lina Bouayad and Jason Swoboda, for contributing their time and expertise to support our students and this initiative.

Sign up for this upcoming webinar on Tuesday, May 5, from 5–6 p.m. to learn more about our nationally ranked MS in Entrepreneurship program!

Register now: usf.to/ent-info