Fall 2025 Demo Day: Celebrating Innovation Across VCU and Beyond!
“We’re so proud of everyone who presented at Demo Day! Pitching an idea in front of a live audience takes courage, clarity, and heart, and every student, alum, and community innovator who stepped up brought their best. Thank you to everyone who filled the room with encouragement, curiosity, and support. The energy was high, the conversations were meaningful, and the pitches were some of the strongest we have seen! This semester’s awardees stood out for their creativity, clarity, and commitment to solving real problems. Extending a huge congratulations to all of our Demo Day presenters!
“If you’re looking for a hands on way to develop or test a product before you pitch, our Shelfie Program at Shift Retail Lab offers four week cohorts where you can test a product or service, gather real customer feedback, strengthen a concept, and even earn micro credentials in design thinking, prototyping, and pitching. It’s an accessible and supportive pathway that often leads to even stronger Demo Day pitches. Not to mention, it’s a whole lot of fun!”
Sincerely,
Ashley Wegner
Program Manager
Shelfie Program Spring Start Dates: January 31st, February 28th, and March 28th
Fall 2025 Demo Day Awardees:
Early Stage Category:
Judge’s Choice Award: Natalia Rooks, VCU student, Tati Tortillas, a tortilla company centered on culture and real tortillas.
Food and Bev Award: Natalia Rooks, VCU student, Tati Tortillas.
CyberinnoVatioN Award sponsored by CCI Central Virginia Node: Alex Croce, VCU student, High G Brain Strain Platform, a platform supporting people who experience high g force.
CyberinnoVatioN Award sponsored by CCI Central Virginia Node: Spencer Strebe, VCU student, Clear Ballot, a non-partisan app helping voters access clear candidate and election information.
People’s Choice Award: Karma Choki, VCU student, KOcclussive Dressing, a healthcare innovation designed for chest trauma dressing and nurse friendly use.
Pre-Launch Category:
CyberinnoVatioN Award sponsored by CCI Central Virginia Node: Justin Samson, VCU student, ADLabs DeepRunAI Labs, cybersecurity systems focused on AI driven protection, CyberinnoVatioN Award
Judge’s Choice Award: Kendall Liverpool, VCU Arts student, The Ballad of a Senior Hawkeye, a novel crafted by a rising author
Gabby Reed Carlock, VCU Brandcenter student, Giddi, a decision making app that helps users figure out where to eat, People’s Choice Award
Active Venture Category:
People’s Choice Award: Malique Middleton, VCU alum and community member, Gewd Ag, a food focused venture elevating community inspired flavors.
Judge’s Choice Award: Frances Odoi, community member, CoCoGin, a juice and beverage brand built around fresh, natural ingredients.
Capital One Award: Frances Odoi, community member, CoCoGin.
All presenters:
- Natalia Rooks: Tati Tortillas (VCU School of Business)
- Karma Choki: KOcclusive Dressing (VCU School of Nursing)
- Alex Croce: Brain Strain Measurement Platform for High G Events (VCU College of Engineering)
- Morgan Hardy: Mojo Skin Stick (Community Member)
- Anirudh Mepperla: Project Z (VCU HPEX)
- Ellie Nuckols: Media Therapy SLP (VCU University College)
- Spencer Strebe: Clear Ballot (VCU Arts)
- Gabby Reed-Carlock: Giddi (VCU Brandcenter)
- Frances Odoi: CoCoGin (VCU Alum)
- Sherhae Holloway: House of Synergy (Community Member)
- Kendall Liverpool: The Ballad of a Senior Hawkeye (VCU Arts)
- Anandkumar Mundhava: First Time in World Multipurpose Tool (International Partner)
- Justino Samson: RADLab / Rapid AI-Driven Lab System for Cybersecurity / DeepRunAI Labs LLC (VCU Humanities & Sciences)
- Bridget Walsh: Head Swap (VCU Alum)
- Malique Middleton: Gewd Ag (VCU Alum)
- Nathan Toft: Dragon’s Tooth Bakery (VCU Alum)
A huge thank you to our sponsor, Capital One, our campus partner, the College of Engineering and CCI Central Virginia Node, as well as our judges and emcee, Chrystie Kallis, Jen Allen, Briana Williams, and Jason Vest. With the support of our campus and community this event would not have been possible. Interested in supporting students, alumni, and community innovators? Partner with us as a Demo Day sponsor and explore opportunities to serve as a judge, emcee, or collaborator!