Cincy EO Launches First GSEA Awards

The Cincinnati chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization held its inaugural Global Student Entrepreneur Awards on Jan. 18 at the Hamilton County Development Center. Two student finalists pitched their businesses, with one taking the top prize.

Jack Manzella, a University of Louisville MBA student and CEO of Zella Chocolate craft chocolate bars, won the competition and will go on to compete regionally in Dallas. If Manzella passes the regional test, he could potentially land at the global finals that will be held in April in Toronto,  along with student entrepreneurs from 50 different countries.

“It feels fantastic,” said Manzella, on winning the top Cincinnati GSEA award. “I’ve been waiting on an opportunity like this for a long time, so I wanted to make sure we did it right, and it worked out.”

Manzella plans on producing the second run of his product. He launched the business as an undergraduate student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The fledging startup now has six employees, and judges remarked on the research, planning and product development already in place.

“It’s really hard to be successful as an entrepreneur, and it’s really hard to be successful as a student. These awards celebrate that.”

Manzella's prize package equals up to $127,560 in legal services, business strategy, sales and marketing consulting, and Microsoft cloud software and services. The connections and networking is also an important component of the awards, according to 2018 EO Cincinnati GSEA Chair Mark Homer.

Ryan Laganson, a Cleveland Institute of Art junior, was runner-up for his business Lemori, which turns photos into memorable lithophanes.

Ten candidates were chosen as finalists, with the top two making the last cut. Laganson and Manzella pitched their businesses to a panel of seven judges: Lynn Anstett, Stett Transportation; Larry Kavanagh, NaviStone; Pat Longo, HCDC Business Center; Kelly Peet, Peet Consulting; Chris Mann, The Woodhouse Day Spa; Jennifer Trowbridge, RedTree Investment Group; and Tim Rettig, Intrust IT.

Each finalist had 12 minutes to pitch their idea, followed up by ten minutes of Q&A. The judges then had four minutes to write feedback and score the contestants.

Unlike other student business awards, the GSEA requires the student to be full-time and the business must already bring in revenue; presenters can’t just have a business plan.

The awards are a testament to the dedication it takes for students to excel in class and in their businesses, Homer said.

“It’s really hard to be successful as an entrepreneur, and it’s really hard to be successful as a student,” he continued. “These awards celebrate that.”