News
Search All News
Friday, August 28, 2026
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pmClosed Sat. and Sun.
$7,000 Awarded to Student Entrepreneurs at Lehman Launch Pitch Competition
Pitch winners Greidy Batista, Kimberly Tejada, and Souleymane Diallo
August 27, 2026
From beauty services to childcare solutions to artificial intelligence, student entrepreneurs showcased innovative business ideas at Lehman College's Second Annual Lehman Launch Pitch Competition. The event, supported by Verizon, NYSTEC, and the Bronx Small Business Development Center (SBDC), awarded a record $7,000 in startup funding to the competition's top three ventures.
Hosted by the School of Business, students build their concepts over the summer through mentorship, market research, financial planning, and pitch development, preparing them to compete for startup funding.
The competition then gives these aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas before a panel of judges and come away with real seed money. The top three businesses showcased the wide range of ideas emerging from Lehman's student entrepreneurs.
First Place ($3,500) was awarded to Kimberly Tejada for Kimmy'sGlambar, a nail and beauty services business; Second Place ($2,500) will support Greidy Batista's Tender Luv & Care Daycare, a childcare services business; and Third Place ($1,000) went to Souleymane Diallo for VoiceRestoAI, an AI-powered restaurant technology platform.
Dene Hurley, Dean of the School of Business and a judge in the competition, highlighted the importance of experiential learning, noting that "entrepreneurship cannot be learned solely from a textbook. Experiences like Lehman Launch allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, receive meaningful feedback, and build the confidence needed to pursue their ambitions."
The competition's continued success is supported by community partners like NYSTEC that help expand opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
"It was inspiring to see the level of preparation and professionalism demonstrated by every participant," said Victoria Palasieski of NYSTEC. "These students are solving meaningful problems with creativity and purpose. NYSTEC is proud to support programs that cultivate innovation and strengthen our communities."
For the winning entrepreneurs, the competition represented an opportunity to turn promising ideas into viable businesses.
“This program gave me the opportunity to take an idea that means so much to me and really develop it into a well-structured business. Each step challenged me to think more deeply about how Tender Luv & Care Daycare can serve families, grow sustainably, and make a difference in the community,” said Greidy Batista. “Pitching in front of the judges was both exciting and challenging, and walking away with second place gave me even more motivation to keep growing my business.”
In addition to startup funding, winning entrepreneurs will receive ongoing support from SBDC as they continue developing their businesses.
Now in its second year, the Lehman Launch Pitch Competition continues to build a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the School of Business, empowering students to launch ventures that create economic opportunity while addressing important challenges facing their communities.