The Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab recently announced the winners of its annual Women Innovate Pitch Competition, a celebration of female entrepreneurs at WVU.
The following six top innovators pitched their ideas to win funding for their business or invention:
Emmy Severs, an entrepreneurship and innovation major, is the founder of Lemon Milk Paper Company, a stationery company specializing in hand-designed, colorful greeting cards, stickers, notebooks and more.
Eva Toor, an entrepreneurship and innovation major, is the founder of the Stable Boy, which rethinks storage and display of horse-riding saddles.
Ashly Lovings, an international studies major, is the creator of the Mental Health First Aid Kit, a new endeavor that tackles connecting mental health resources to a young audience.
Jane Peterson, a multidisciplinary studies major, is the founder of Plarnation, a company and community building project that reworks and recycles plastic bags into practical fashion statements.
Heather Cole, media professor in the Reed College of Media, is the founder of Mon River Games, a business that is expanding into career-based simulation video game development.
Naimat Khani, a management major, is the founder of Cuisine Port, a service that delivers international cuisine and recipes to the doorsteps of both college students and families.
The panel of all-female judges included professionals representing multiple facets of entrepreneurship.
This event was launched in 2017 after data revealed that only 17% of the LaunchLab’s clients were women, and with the help of this event and determined innovators, that number has grown dramatically each year.
The competition is supported by the Women of WVU Leadership Council and the Women of WVU Enrichment Fund.