Young entrepreneurs shine at 9th annual Husky Dog Pound

From edible hand sanitizer that helps prevent germ spread in elementary cafeterias to a school bus app that provides real-time tracking, some of Pennsylvania's brightest young minds turned Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg into a launchpad for tomorrow's million-dollar ideas during the 9th annual Husky Dog Pound.

Sponsored by the Zeigler College of Business, this spring's Shark Tank-style event drew roughly 800 middle and high school students from nearly 100 schools statewide, alongside Commonwealth University talent, competing for $20,000 in prizes.

Middle and high school participants delivered three-minute pitches followed by five-minute Q&A sessions with judges, being evaluated on marketability, feasibility, profitability, and presentation skills. The university division competed through prelims and finals with a 20-minute pitch in front of judges.

University Winners

• 1st: Fold Out Fit — Warren Daisey, sophomore political science major, professional sales minor and black studies minor at Bloomsburg
• 2nd: Locked in Learning AI — Michael Zalutko, graduate student in business education at Bloomsburg
• 3rd: LumiSpeech — Muralidharan Sukumaran, doctorate student in audiology at Bloomsburg
• 4th: Big Scoops Protein Ice Cream — Vasilios Dimou, freshman business administration finance major at Bloomsburg
• 5th: Grymms Game Creator — Jade Selby, junior business administration management major at Mansfield (two-time place winner)

Middle/High School Winners

• 1st: St. Mary’s Area School District — Twin entrepreneurs Bailey and Trevor Herbstritt run a small bakery and smokehouse business specializing in baked goods, smoked cheese, pepperoni, and nuts. Started during COVID-19 as a hobby, it evolved into a full operation to help fund their joint college education.
• 2nd: Rock L. Butler Middle School — Isobel Kennedy, Wiley Sargent, and Leah Szentesy pitched an edible hand sanitizer for school cafeterias using clove and lemon essential oils in a water-vegetable oil base. It prevents germ spread from kids licking their hands after using regular sanitizer.
• 3rd: Fairfield Area High School — Olivia Sanders, Ivan Chris Brown, Michael Fisher, and Jonathan Mossberg developed Bus 360, an app using school ID chips scanned on buses. Parents track real-time boarding, location, and safe arrival, solving cold-weather waits and safety concerns.
• 4. Hempfield Team 4 — Medha Lalani, Reshma Lalani
• 5. Cambria Heights HS Team 1 — Logan Ivory
• 6. Pine Grove Area Team 2 — Marlena Burke, Aubrey Aungst, Allie Witmer
• 7. Crossroads Middle School Team 4 — Will Cohick, Kenley Kunkle, Kenley Kingsborough, Sophia Raimondo
• 8. Rock L. Butler MS Team 2 — Sylvia Duterte, Riley Lanphear
• 9. Hazleton Team 4 — Santino DeLorenzo, Jonas Kozlek, Michael Balay
• 10. Linglestown Middle School Team 2 — Andrew Rein, Tenley Lauche, Roman Ricords, Myla Wood
• 11. Hempfield Team 2 — Ryan Martin
• 12. Downingtown STEM Team 4 — Sarah DiAddezio
• 13. Carbon CTI Team 2 — Jeremiah Donadi, Ethan Zettlemoyer
• 14. Pittston Area Team 2 — Kevin Jombe, Jayden Lovallo
• 15. DHEMS Uniquely Upcycled — Adalyn Crebs, Nora Rummel, Muaz Aboueid
• 16. Old Forge HS True Hue — Lily Barbuti, Nina Barbuti, William Garcia Mejia
• 17. Cheltenham Folded Fantasies — Deven Johnson
• 18. Blue Mountain High School Team 1 — Leonita Sylaj
• 19. Crossroads Middle School Team 2 — Janie Scribner, Alexis Westhafer, Kensington Wilderson, Giada Minnier
• 20. Donegal Team 2 — David Graybill
• 21. Pottstown Team 1 — Jennifer McCall, Alejandro Suber
• 22. Lehigh CTI Crowne — Savannah Hall
• 23. Wyoming Seminary Team 3 — CJ Stevenson, Ronav Gupta, John Wilson
• 24. Loyalsock Team 2 — Kalylene Kriner
• 25. Williamsport HS SPO — Ella Kenyon, Michaela Thomke, Ciani Lubin, Kennedy Hamm
• 26. Hempfield Team 1 — Arsenii Marchenko
• 27. Central High School Team 2 — Christian Yuen, Sydney Austin, Sovanika Oum
• 28. Pine Grove Area Team 3 — Haley Martin
• 29. North Penn‑Mansfield Redolent — Violet Kerstetter, Lindsay Noldy
• 30. St. Mary’s Team 4 — Max Keebler, Rocco Ruffner, Frankie Straub