Embry-Riddle Student-Led Startup Competition Showcases Innovations in Sustainability, Drone Tech and Automation

For Dillon Rosenthal, winning the $15,000 top prize at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Launch Your Venture competition means he can move forward on recycling and selling the six hundred pounds of cracked pickleballs sitting in his garage.

Dillon Rosenthal, the founder of BounceBack Pickle, won the top prize at the competition. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/John Stipancich)

Rosenthal, a senior entrepreneurship major at Florida Gulf Coast University, plans to grind the cracked pickleballs into plastic material that can be remanufactured into new balls. He said he already has a prototype and will use the award money to purchase molds.

“This funding will truly unlock the manufacturing of our product,” said Rosenthal

Rosenthal’s BounceBack Pickle earned the top prize at Launch Your Venture, held recently at the MicaPlex at Embry‑Riddle’s Research Park on the Daytona Beach Campus.

“I’m so grateful to Embry-Riddle for hosting this event, because this award will really help me get my company to the next level,” Rosenthal.

This is the 10th year for the annual entrepreneurship competition, which recognizes and rewards Florida university student-led startups. Six finalists, chosen from 50 applicants, presented their novel business ideas at the event. The teams from four universities had 10 minutes to pitch their idea and seven minutes to answer questions from the event’s judges.

“Many of our past winners have gone on to raise significant funding, participate in business incubators and accelerator programs, grow their companies, and introduce new products to market,” said Stephanie Miller, executive director of Embry-Riddle’s Research Park. “We are enabling students to go from student to CEO.”

Mayott Aerospace, founded by Embry-Riddle Aerospace Engineering student Andrew Mayott, placed second and won $10,000 prize for its uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) capable of carrying up to 275 pounds and suited for disaster response, infrastructure repair and defense operations.

Embry-Riddle student Tommy Porter talks about Mayott Aerospace, which was awarded second place. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/John Stipancich)

Mayott and fellow students plan to enter the drone in the DARPA Heavy Lift Challenge in August. Mayott said the award will fund the prototype buildout, keeping the team on track for the competition.

“Heavy lifting remains one of the largest unsolved challenges in drone technology,” said Mayott, who is CEO of the company. “Mayott Aerospace is focused on solving this problem by developing a drone platform capable of transporting meaningful payloads while maintaining stability, endurance and operational reliability.”

Embry-Riddle student Arjun Menon pitches his idea for Tracker, which earned third place. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/John Stipancich)

Tracker, developed by Embry-Riddle student Arjun Menon and recent graduate Jadyn Fulcher, captured third place and the $5,000 prize. Originally developed as a senior design mechanical engineering project, the automated inventory management toolbox aims to track and prevent the loss of tools and other costly equipment. Previously, the company took home the $5,000 second place award at the Volusia Innovation Challenge, held March 25 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

“For the past five months, we have actually deployed Tracker in Embry-Riddle mechanical engineering labs, and our professors absolutely loved it,” said Menon, a Mechanical Engineering student. “Winning this award means a lot and we’re looking forward to the next step.” 

The three other startup finalists included: 

• BeachLens, founded by University of Florida student Ja’Rell Felix.
• Comet Procedures, founded by Embry Riddle Ph.D. student Trevor Clevenger.
• SubQ Six, founded by Rollins College students Matheus Westphalen, Ava Ager, McKenzie Steuerer, Xandria Bramble and Oliver Alcorn.