The University of Dayton Flyer Pitch competition awarded more than $100,000 to student and community start-ups, with top prizes going to ventures tackling sports safety, supporting underserved youth and reducing wedding costs.

UD entrepreneurship students Hank Veeneman and Brayden Shepard claimed the competition's largest-ever prize — $76,000 in cash and services — for Saturn Sports, a smart chin strap system that enhances helmet safety in contact sports.

The duo developed their concept in Flyer Nest, a new class providing students mentorship and resources while encouraging post-graduation ownership of their ventures. Veeneman said the chin strap draws inspiration from U.S. Department of Defense technology for hazmat suits that signals when seals are compromised.

“Playing football and then watching NFL games, I couldn’t help but notice helmets were coming off left and right during live play,” he said. “I got curious and started tracking them. In just a few weekends, I counted nearly 300 instances of loose chin straps or helmets popping off — until I finally gave up because there were just too many to keep up with.”

The tech track prize package gives the team momentum. “Having capital makes a huge difference — it turns ideas into action,” he said.

Main street track winner Charmaine Webster received $16,000 for The Charming Chapel, a boutique wedding chapel offering elopements, microceremonies and counseling services. 

"This win means everything to me,” Webster said. “When I quit my job five years ago, I did not know what the future would hold for me, but it became clear that entrepreneurship would be the best path forward. Through this competition, I created the vision for what I want my business to be as well as created the foundation to move that vision forward. Every day has been an exercise in courage and faith.

“Winning this competition has given me everything I need to make that vision come alive. I have the funds to remodel my chapel. Most importantly, I have more fuel for my courage. This vote of confidence from the judges affirms that my business and I have what it takes and that the entrepreneurship community believes in me,” she said.

Nonprofit track winner Thomas Scroggins earned $11,000 for Community Closet, a program of Youth House Inc. that supplies essential resources to underserved youth and grassroots nonprofits. 

“As someone who grew up in Dayton, this work is personal,” said Scroggins. “The barriers I faced growing up in high-poverty neighborhoods deeply shaped my work. That personal experience showed me how often young people in these spaces are simply looking for access to basic needs and opportunities—and I wanted to be part of the solution.

“I also noticed that there are many people in our community — people like me — who want to serve these youth but face the same disinvestment and lack of resources that prevent their programs from thriving. That gap only widens the challenges young people of color face. With the Community Resource Closet, I wanted to help meet needs on both sides of the equation: supporting youth directly while also equipping those who serve them,” Scroggins said.

Flyer Pitch is one of the largest collegiate-level competitions in the country. Sponsored by PNC Bank, it offers funding, mentorship and support through a partnership with UD’s Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and The Entrepreneurs’ Center.