Big Ideas Brought to Life at the Pompea College of Business鈥檚 Pitch Competition
Inspired by a love of reading and a desire to reduce screen time, a student team took first place in the Pompea College of Business鈥檚 Spring 2025 BUSA 1000 EXPO with their pitch for Snuggle Tales.
June 4, 2025
By Caitlin Truesdale, Office of Marketing and Communications
Snuggle Tales was selected as the winning team at the BUSA1000 EXPO.
Snuggle Tales, a product concept blending a soft stuffed animal with an interactive tablet to encourage childhood literacy, was awarded first place in the competitive BUSA 1000 EXPO 鈥 a pitch competition and business expo serving as the culminating experience of an immersive University of 性爱视频 business and entrepreneurship course.
The idea was born out of an experience team member Robert Escoffery 鈥26 had with his niece, who, despite being an "iPad kid," showed a deep love for storytelling. 鈥淪he throws tantrums when you take away the screen,鈥 Robert explained, 鈥渂ut she enjoys reading much more than videos.鈥
Joining Robert on the winning team were Eric Zielinski 鈥27, Ela Eglash 鈥27, Andrew Tkacs 鈥27, and Adam Mezyed 鈥27. Together, they built out a comprehensive plan for Snuggle Tales, one that not only addressed a real-world challenge but captured the imagination of the judges.
鈥淚 feel like nearly every idea we came up with at the beginning of the semester ended up being used in some way,鈥 Robert said. 鈥淭he end product didn鈥檛 feel unrecognizable鈥攊t felt like growth.鈥
鈥榃e settled on combining a tablet with a plush toy鈥
There was a shared concern about younger family members struggling with reading and their increasing dependence on screens.
The team began with research, conducting surveys and gathering both secondary and primary data to confirm what they had suspected: literacy issues are widespread, and many families are seeking alternatives to traditional educational tools.
鈥淲e started with many ideas,鈥 said Eric. 鈥淎nd eventually we agreed on combining a tablet with a plush toy to create an emotional connection that also supports learning.鈥
That fusion of tech and touch became the foundation of their pitch, and it resonated.
鈥淜ids already love stuffed animals,鈥 said Adam. 鈥淚f we could make the toy read to them or respond to their input, it felt like we could hold their attention and build those early reading skills.鈥
Students present their business idea during the BUSA1000 EXPO.
鈥楾he expo made us better public speakers and entrepreneurs鈥
Despite the creativity behind Snuggle Tales, developing a professional-grade business plan was no small feat.
鈥淭he hardest part was the financials,鈥 said Andrew. 鈥淲e had to figure out how to project revenue, identify our target demographic, and factor in real manufacturing costs.鈥
The team relied heavily on the course learning assistant (LA) for guidance. 鈥淲e met regularly with our LA to really break down what our numbers meant and how to communicate that to investors,鈥 said Robert.
While their first pitch run-throughs in class needed improvement, 鈥淲e sat down and were able to recognize our errors 鈥 where we were lacking 鈥攁nd learn from that experience,鈥 Ela shared. 鈥淥verall, the expo made us better public speakers and entrepreneurs.鈥
鈥淏eing in front of that audience and presenting our product reinforced that I made the right choice in business as my major,鈥 said Robert. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been good at the storytelling part of communications and loved public speaking, even if it can be nerve-racking at times.鈥
鈥楾his competition is a celebration of their journey鈥
The feedback from the judges helped the team see their idea's full potential鈥攁nd the areas still needing refinement.
鈥淥ne judge joked about us making an expanded Snuggle Tales universe,鈥 said Robert. 鈥淎nd honestly, there鈥檚 great potential to expand the brand in year six or seven with animation or other media if we retain an audience for it.鈥
Other judges offered more grounded critiques. 鈥淭hey pointed out that our price estimates for manufacturing the tablet weren鈥檛 quite aligned with real-world costs,鈥 said Eric. 鈥淭hat feedback is very helpful for improving our business plan.鈥
For the students behind Snuggle Tales, the experience was a class project, a personal milestone, and a professional breakthrough.
鈥淥ur students have poured months of hard work, creativity, and resilience into their entrepreneurial projects,鈥 said Vasiliki Kosmidou, Ph.D., Smerd Family Associate Professor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. 鈥淭his competition is a celebration of their journey鈥攁nd a glimpse of the impact they'll make beyond the classroom.鈥
