Innovation, Grit, and Impact on Display at UMass Amherst’s Innovation Challenge: The Final

Inside the Great Hall of the Old Chapel, anticipation built as students prepared to take the stage—not just to present ideas, but to share the journeys behind them. Hosted by the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship in the Isenberg School of Management, Innovation Challenge: The Final brought the UMass Amherst community together for an evening showcasing what happens when curiosity meets commitment.

The event marked the culmination of a highly competitive process that began with a strong pool of student applicants from across campus. On April 15, 25 students competed in the preliminary round, pitching their ventures and receiving valuable feedback from judges. (Read more about the preliminary round here.)

From that group, four finalists were selected to move forward to the Final—each continuing to refine their venture. This year’s cohort also benefited from expanded legal guidance through a partnership with Anoo D. Vyas, assistant professor of law and director of the Community Development Clinic at the University of Massachusetts School of Law, which added an extra layer of expertise to help student founders better understand the legal considerations involved in building a startup.

By the time they reached the Final, these students weren’t just presenting ideas—they were demonstrating progress shaped by feedback, persistence, and a growing understanding of what it takes to launch a venture. At the Final, those ventures came to life.

Each team delivered a five-minute pitch, followed by a ten-minute question-and-answer session with a panel of judges composed of alums and industry professionals:

• Norman (Bud) Robertson ’72: Angel Investor at Launchpad Venture Group, Board of Directors at OpenExchange Inc. 
• Richard Yazbeck ’01: President & CEO at NED Medical, Inc. 
• Michelle Wirth: Owner, Mercedes-Benz of Springfield; Founder, Feel Good Shop Local  
• Eileen McCaffery: Executive Director at Community Music School of Springfield

The exchange was both rigorous and constructive—designed not only to evaluate the ventures, but to challenge and strengthen them.

The ideas presented spanned industries and disciplines, reflecting the breadth of innovation across UMass Amherst. From emerging technologies and digital platforms to solutions rooted in sustainability and community impact, the finalists demonstrated a shared focus on addressing real-world problems with thoughtful, scalable approaches.

By the end of the evening, the Berthiaume Center awarded $65,000 in funding to support the continued development of these ventures:

$31,000, HertZ Innovation, Inc — Yuzhen Zhang ’25, (College of Natural Sciences) 

HertZ Innovation strengthens public health by making advanced contamination detection accessible at the point of need. Through BactiSee, we enable rapid, reliable bacterial confirmation to improve safety, reduce costs, and support smarter decisions across industries.

$23,000, SwineShield — Ryan Ciulla ’27 (College of Natural Sciences) 

SwineShield manufactures a patent-pending protective vest for newborn piglets that reduces crushing-related mortality by up to 40%, saving operators $15,000–$40,000 annually while also improving animal welfare.

$10,000, Vidovo — Elijah Khasabo ’26 (Isenberg School of Management)

Vidovo is a UGC marketplace and managed service that pairs brands with vetted everyday creators to produce scroll-stopping, paid-ready video content at scale. We handle sourcing, briefing, and production so brands get a steady stream of fresh ad creative without the overhead.

$1,000, Air-Gen — Alex Lombardi ’27 (Riccio College of Engineering)

Air-Gen generates continuous electricity from ambient humidity with no batteries, no sunlight, and no moving parts. Our dual-mechanism hydrogel platform enables truly maintenance-free, energy-autonomous electronics for smart buildings and IoT. 

“The Innovation Challenge highlights the depth of talent and initiative we see across campus,” said Gregory Thomas, executive director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship. “Students are not only identifying meaningful problems—they’re building solutions and developing the skills to bring those ideas forward.”

Chancellor Javier A. Reyes said, “This competition reflects the very best of what we strive to cultivate at UMass Amherst: curiosity, creativity, and the confidence to transform ideas into impact. These student entrepreneurs are not only innovating, but they’re also building the skills and mindset to lead. We’re proud to support their work and to see their ideas take shape in ways that contribute to the common good.” 

The Innovation Challenge is a cornerstone of the Berthiaume Center’s programming, providing students with opportunities to move from concept to execution through mentorship, experiential learning, and access to funding. The Final serves as both a milestone in that process and a starting point for continued growth.

Through programs like the Innovation Challenge, the Berthiaume Center continues to strengthen UMass Amherst’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem—one that connects students, alums, and industry partners and supports ventures well beyond the classroom.