Lexington, KY - On April 20, PNC Bank and the Gatton College of Business and Economics’ Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship presented the PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition, during which University of Kentucky graduate and undergraduate students competed for cash prizes totaling $20,000. This event gave students the opportunity to build their entrepreneurial skills and share ideas for ground-breaking products and services.
The winners and finalists were:
Undergraduate Division First place: $5,000 Doc AI Sarisha Lohano, College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College
Second place: $3,000 NARM Omar Brown, College of Nursing
Third place: $2,000 TriStacker Austin Hirtzel, College of Design
Graduate Division First place: $5,000 Nano Med Maame Abena Oforiwaa Afrifa, Pigman College of Engineering Second Place: $3,000 Go With Me Eumin Michelle Shin, Gatton College of Business and Economics Andy Deaton, Pigman College of Engineering Third Place: $2,000 MagnaHat Wyatt Hench, Pigman College of Engineering Bron Bourque, College of Dentistry
“The PNC Wildcat Pitch Competition captures the talent and entrepreneurship for which Gatton students are known, while providing a glimpse into the future of our region’s business innovation and talent pipeline,” said John Gohmann, PNC regional president for Lexington. “All of us at PNC extend our congratulations to the competition’s prizewinners and participants, and we look forward to witnessing their future success and the impact they will create.”
Warren Nash, director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship, shared, “It was very exciting to see the quality of the students’ pitches. All the participants truly embodied the entrepreneurial spirit. We are also grateful to our volunteer judges who brought tremendous expertise to the table and to PNC for investing in our UK student entrepreneurs!”
About PNC Bank PNC Bank, N.A., is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking, including a full range of lending products, specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance, and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
About Gatton College of Business and Economics Since 1925, the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky has been fostering the next generation of business leaders. With a rich history and commitment to shaping the future of business education, Gatton prepares principled leaders for the global economy, produces impactful research, and elevates economic growth in Kentucky and beyond.
In 2022, U.S. News and World Report ranked Gatton College #41 among employers nationwide, with over 400 hiring employers. The college is ranked #25 for Best Part-Time MBA Programs/Public Institutions. It’s all made possible by our dedicated team of faculty and staff who make up Gatton’s five academic programs, seven research centers, and a $63 million facility that stands ready to support the nearly 5,000 students each year who are eager to learn more, do more and be more.
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