When seafood entrepreneur Keegan Jalbert’s startup AccessFlora won the Wolff New Venture Competition on Tuesday night, it took him a few minutes to compose himself.
It’s not every day that a new entrepreneur gets a $40,000 check and $5,000 in pro bono services.
“I had been running on 24 hours of full nerves, and I felt like a tank that is pressure rated. I had surpassed what my body could tolerate,’’ says Jalbert ’23 (CLAS) ’27 MS. “When they announced that I had won the top prize, I was calm at first and then I was crying. And I’m not a crier. The recognition is so powerful.’’
As a scientist, it is complicated to enter an entrepreneurship-pitch competition, he says.
“You have to explain a lot of context and make people understand the value of what you’re working on, in addition to why they should support your startup,’’ he says. “But I don’t mind. I like being seen as the ‘nerdy science guy.’’’
Jalbert is finding new ways produce a proprietary omega-3 aquafeed and share his love of seafood with customers who live far from the ocean. He is trying to revolutionize the $767 million shellfish industry by enabling more resilient oyster production and boost the success of hatcheries farther from the ocean.
“We want to be the Angus of oysters,’’ he says, referring to the famous cattle breed. The recognition has strengthened his resolve to continue the work in an industry that he loves.
Wolff Competition Awarded more than $150,000 in Prizes
AccessFlora was one of five UConn-affiliated startups competing in the Wolff New Venture Competition on Tuesday night at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The annual event is hosted by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI).
“Every year, the Wolff New Venture Competition reminds me just how much entrepreneurial talent we have here at UConn,’’ says Alycia Chrosniak, Assistant Director of Brand and Venture Development at CCEI and an event organizer. “What makes this competition so special is that we’re not just celebrating great ideas, we’re celebrating entrepreneurs who are actively turning those ideas into businesses with the potential to make a meaningful impact on the world.’’
“It’s a great reflection of the strength of UConn’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the groundbreaking research and innovation happening across the University, and the incredible potential of our students, faculty, and alumni to bring those ideas to life,” she says.
Build-A-Brush Takes Second Place
Build-A-Brush, a customizable children’s toothbrush with detachable blocks on the handle, that strives to increase children’s interest in brushing, won the second-place award and a $15,000 prize. The startup also earned the Audience Choice Award and an additional $5,000 prize.
The toothbrush is the brainchild of three-time UConn alumnus and pediatric dentist Dr. Dante Paolino, and his business partner Dr. Zachary Gelber. The brush is sold under the corporate name Babsy and, at $25 per kit, it was selling quickly at the Wolff event. Paolino graduated from UConn with a bachelor’s in biology in 2011, a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) in 2015, and from an advanced pediatric residency program in 2019.
Healthy baby teeth are important to a child’s health, he says. A parent himself, Paolino said his children have used some impressive stall tactics to avoid brushing their teeth. “If a child has multiple cavities after their first pediatric dental checkup, parents will do anything to prevent that from happening again,’’ he says.
SEAWELL Beverage Rides the Wave to Third Place
Father-daughter entrepreneurs Bill Smith ’78 (BUS) and Lindsay Smith are both experienced boaters who enjoy a day on the water. But they also know that boaters easily become dehydrated due to a combination of heat, sun, and wind. They’ve created a new sparkling, non-alcoholic, juice-infused beverage, called SEAWELL, that contains essential electrolytes, a crisp taste, and only 40 calories per can. The new beverage took third place and those attending the Wolff competition were among the first to taste-test the two varieties.
“We wanted something that was craveable and enjoyable, a premium beverage crafted in New England for the boating lifestyle, that can refresh and replenish the whole crew,’’ says Lindsay, the company CEO. The entrepreneurs tapped experts at three colleges, including UConn’s nutrition science professor Jennifer Fields, who helped them perfect the hydration component of the beverages.
The inventors plan to meet new customers at boat shows, marinas, retail shops and through pop-up sales. They will officially launch SEAWELL in the spring in the New Haven-to-Newport corridor.
Scientific Companies ‘Wowed’ the Judges
Two healthcare startups in the competition also impressed the five-judge panel.
Scientist, researcher, and newer entrepreneur Xingyu Wang ’22 Ph.D. showcased an innovation called EVA, a smart-sensing device, embedded in a menstrual pad, that collects data from menstrual blood or vaginal fluid to assess reproductive-health information. The company, operating as WE-Sensing, won the Mark & Jamie Summers Innovation Award of $5,000.
“The doctors I’ve spoken with are all very excited,’’ says Wang, who co-founded the company with engineering faculty Baikun Li and Yu Lei. “Historically, women’s health has received insufficient attention in medical research and testing. Although this is improving, more data is needed to better understand and address women’s health needs.’’
Meanwhile, ChromaShield, a company that uses a color-changing patch to detect radiation-therapy-induced skin inflammation, won two awards, the Baystate Financial impact Award of $5,000 and the Wiggin(x) Legal Services Award, worth $15,000.
“We wanted a simple, patient-centered innovation to combat [skin damage] and offer early signs of a problem,’’ says Suma Denti ’28 (CLAS), part of a three-member undergrad team that includes co-founders Charli Hughes ’28 (ENG) and Neha Shanavas ’28 (CLAS). “We can’t reverse all the skin damage, but we can enable earlier detection, allowing healthcare providers to mitigate the problem,’’ Dendi says.
In addition to the top five startup finalists, the event included a showcase of 22 entrepreneurs who had participated in previous Wolff competitions. Many took home substantial awards for their growing businesses, totaling $41,000 in cash and pro bono services.
This year’s event honored the late Bette Wolff, who co-founded the competition with her husband, Thomas John Wolff. Her sons, Greg and Gary, say she had an entrepreneurial spirit and a natural instinct for creating value, and was fiercely committed to the competition and to young entrepreneurs and their success.
