Haslam College of Business - UT Student Entrepreneurs Turn Business Ideas into Funding with Entrepreneurship Center

The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business concluded its fall 2026 Vol Court season with the event’s signature pitch competition, awarding $3,000 in Roe Prize funding to three student-led startups. The night was a culmination of a three-week series of events, including a sign up and feedback session Smokey’s Den, a reverse pitch event.

Vol Court Winners Take the Stage

WarmWave, founded by Kendra Mueller, a sophomore from Madison, Wisconsin, studying marketing and entrepreneurship, took first place and won $1,500. WarmWave is a reusable, cordless heating device that discreetly adheres to the abdomen and provides adjustable, app-controlled relief from menstrual cramps.

“Winning Vol Court means so much to me because it is about more than just growing WarmWave; it represents the importance of continuing to innovate in women’s health and create better solutions for problems that are often overlooked,” Mueller said. “I hope this win inspires more women to believe in themselves, take a chance on their ideas and see what they can accomplish.”

Second place and $1,000 went to Caspair.tv, an advertising-funded streaming platform and marketplace. Caspair.tv turns live events into advertising inventory, allowing viewers to watch for free while organizations earn revenue from their broadcasts and advertisers reach localized audiences. The Caspair.tv team includes Jack Foster, a senior majoring in marketing with a collateral in entrepreneurship from Brentwood, Tennessee; Charlie Sarafian, a senior studying journalism and electronic media from Los Angeles, California; and Owen Fall, a sophomore computer science major from Wyckoff, New Jersey.

“Vol Court is like the gauntlet,” Foster said. “It is difficult to compress a business plan into 90 seconds, but I can already tell that practicing and competing in Vol Court has helped boost my understanding of not only pitching, but the company as well.”

Sarafian echoed that sentiment.

“Winning second place at Vol Court gave us a huge wave of confidence and reinforced how much we believe in what we’re building with Caspair,” he said. “It was also an incredible learning experience that made us even more excited about where we can take this.”

“Winning Vol Court is an eye-opening experience and something I have never felt before,” Fall added. “This win gives me hope and confidence that, as a company, we really do have a great idea. I cannot wait to see what other opportunities come our way and how we can use them to propel our company forward!”

Third place and $500 went to CalmEars, founded by Katrina Tsiftilis, a senior from Arlington Heights, Illinois, majoring in information sciences with a concentration in UX design. CalmEars earbuds suppress specific trigger sounds, like chewing or sniffing, in real time for people with misophonia, a condition where certain sounds elicit reactions similar to a fight-or-flight response.

“As someone who lives with misophonia, placing at Vol Court meant so much because it felt like people truly understood how hard it can be,” Tsiftilis said. “I’m grateful the judges saw that pain as real and worth solving, and I hope this helps spread more awareness.”

The Weeks Before: Sign Ups, Feedback and Smokey’s Den

Pitch competition victories came after weeks of preparation. Vol Court kicked off on September 2 with a sign-up and feedback session, giving students the chance to receive early input on their pitches, a step that also earned them priority placement on pitch night. The following week, students headed to Smokey’s Den, a reverse competition where local founders pitched to students acting as investors, complete with scorecards and rubrics. Breanna Hale, executive director of the Anderson Center, hosted the event, guiding students through the rubrics and directing discussions about the pitches.

“Smokey’s Den gives our students a unique opportunity to learn from near-peer entrepreneurs who have stood where they stand — winning some pitch competitions, losing others and refining their stories through every experience,” said Hale.

Three founders took the stage at Smokey’s Den: Spencer Dore (HCB, ’26) of New Horizon Precision, which brings precision drone technology to Southeast farms; Wesley Pitts of Terra Sync, a grounds maintenance automation company; and Brian Washington (UT MS, ’22; Ph.D., ’24) of AluminAiry, which develops aluminum-air batteries as a clean energy storage alternative.

Students scored each pitch across six categories on a 30-point rubric, then asked pointed questions about customer acquisition and business feasibility. AluminAiry took the win, with students praising Washington’s clarity and command of his technology.

“Winning Smokey’s Den was a full-circle moment for AluminAiry, and we are forever grateful, but hearing from and giving back to the next generation of entrepreneurs is truly a special thing,” Washington said.

For students like electrical engineering freshman Noah Raduns from Greenville, South Carolina, and Ph.D. candidate Daniel Perkins, the event offered unexpected lessons.

“It was really inspiring to see the professional entrepreneurs mess up,” Raduns said. “I realized that they also don’t have it all figured out.”

“Vol Court and Smokey’s Den made a big difference in helping me learn how to showcase my ideas, translating a complex technology into a profitable startup,” Perkins added.

About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Anderson Center, housed in Haslam, is the front door to entrepreneurship at UT. It connects Volunteers with expertise, resources and collaborators at UT and across the regional ecosystem to advance ideas, tackle bold challenges and turn entrepreneurial ambition into results. At the Anderson Center, Volunteers are empowered to identify opportunities and take bold action to create value through new ventures.

For more information and upcoming events, visit the Anderson Center event page.

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Author:

Allison Kelly, Anderson Center director of marketing, [email protected]

Contact:

Leah McAmis, assistant director of communications, [email protected]