The University of Dayton School of Business Administration (SBA) is celebrating exceptional student success at the Flyer Pitch Elevator Pitch Competition held on Oct. 25. The results reflect the strength of the SBA’s hands-on business education and its nationally recognized entrepreneurship program.
UD’s entrepreneurship program is ranked among the Top 50 undergraduate programs in the nation by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. It is also the highest-ranked entrepreneurship program in Ohio and has been ranked in the Top 50 for 20 consecutive years. This year’s Flyer Pitch results demonstrate the depth of talent and preparation behind those rankings.
Student Winners
UD students earned top honors across both the Main Street and Tech categories for their companies.
- Main Street Category – Top Awards:
- FreshPack, founded by Maia Zeilman (’29, entrepreneurship) and Ryan Alcox (’29, marketing)
- To-Go Space, founded by Maxwell Cressy (‘28, entrepreneurship)
- Tech Category – Top Awards:
- Universal Data Translator, founded by Elayna Brdecka (’26, management and marketing)
- AuraFarm, founded by Austin Ebbing (‘26, electrical engineering)
These achievements highlight the entrepreneurial mindset students develop throughout their academic experience in the School of Business Administration.
Students Seize the Stage
This year’s competition drew strong student engagement, with 64% of all competing groups coming from student teams, a 28 percentage point increase over 2024. The growth reflects the SBA’s emphasis on experiential learning and its commitment to helping students translate classroom ideas into real-world applications.
Student teams also earned $4,100 in total prize money, including Top in Tech, Top in Main Street and multiple second-place finishes across the two competition rooms. Their pitches competed successfully against those of experienced community entrepreneurs.
While the awards and recognition were meaningful, many students say the most rewarding part of the experience was the community that surrounded them throughout the journey. “I am most proud to be part of a university with mentors, professors, and peers who push me to grow and believe in what I’m capable of,” said Elyana Brdecka. “Flyer Pitch reminded me how fortunate I am to be surrounded by people who challenge me, support me, and celebrate my progress. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and to be part of UD!”
Experiential Learning in Action
The continued growth in student participation in Flyer Pitch reflects the School of Business Administration’s integrated, hands-on entrepreneurship curriculum and robust experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Together, these experiences help students strengthen essential business skills through real-world application.
“Throughout the pitch process, I developed skills in communication, organization, and adaptability. I learned how to clearly explain my idea in a short amount of time and deliver my pitch clearly,” said first-year student and competitor Maia Zeilman. “The experience helped me better understand how to present value and stay focused on the most important parts of my idea under pressure.”
Beyond skill development, Flyer Pitch gives students a tangible résumé builder and a compelling interview talking point, helping them clearly demonstrate their experience and stand out to future employers as fearless, creative thinkers.
“It's incredibly exciting to see so many students involved in Flyer Pitch, because the new energy and perspective these young entrepreneurial minds bring to a city-wide competition raises the bar for everyone involved, said Professor Willie Morris, who teaches MGT 101. “It shows that students are embracing the benefits of learning to fail forward early in their academic career.”
Here’s how students prepare to participate in Flyer Pitch:
MGT 101: Entrepreneurial, Innovative and Creative Mindsets
This introductory course builds a foundation in opportunity recognition, innovation and the “fail forward” approach that encourages students to learn through iteration and action.
Fail Forward Labs
Labs throughout the course give students the chance to identify real problems, test solutions, and practice essential entrepreneurial skills in a supportive environment.
Pitch-Ready in 60 Minutes
This design-thinking sprint workshop, open to all UD students, helps participants write and refine their elevator pitches with immediate feedback from experienced entrepreneurs. Students who participated in the workshop collectively earned $1,250 in prize money.
A Community That Builds Innovators
By embedding pitch development, mentor feedback and applied learning directly into the curriculum, the School of Business Administration ensures students are prepared to compete and excel on stages like Flyer Pitch.
“Some of the competitors were first-year students. Ten weeks into college, they stepped onto a very competitive, fast-paced stage and pitched like entrepreneurs,” said Professor Beth Miller, MGT 101 instructor and Director of the Herr Venture for Change program. “That’s the mindset shift we’re building, the moment they stop asking, ‘Can I do this?’ and start realizing, ‘I already am…and I just won!’”
The Elevator Round was a major achievement for the students and a reflection of the SBA’s long-standing commitment to innovation, experiential learning and entrepreneurial excellence. At UD, students don’t just study business, they practice it, test it and elevate it through real-world experiences supported by one of the nation’s top entrepreneurship programs.
Learn more about the University of Dayton’s Entrepreneurship program.
