Day 4 of San Diego Startup Week was hosted by our day sponsor, San Diego State University, in Conrad Preby’s Aztec Student Union. With over 450+ attendees, we held workshops in entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, sales, and metrics. We had our keynote, “From First-time Entrepreneur-to-Founder Transformation,” by Cody Barbo, Founder and CEO of Trust & Will and former SDSU Alumni. He gave a riveting talk about his journey from being an SDSU student to building one of the most successful estate planning startups.

After the keynote, Cody transitioned as a moderator for the fireside chat and interviewed founders:

• Samantha Pantazopoulos, Co-founder & CEO of Vizer
• Adam Riggs, Head of Programs and Technology at Founders First Capital Partners
• Suman Kanuganti, Founder & CEO at Personal.AI

A huge thank you to our workshop leaders:

• Tracy Stevens, Product Coach at Product Rebels
• Alex Waters, Director of Economic Development and Innovation at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
• Jamar Williams, Founder & CEO at Promo Drone
• Marc Barron, Co-founder of Coursekey
• Brant Cooper, Founder & CEO of Moves the Needle
• Alo Sarv, Co-founder & CTO at SOCi Inc

Watch the Full Live Stream of the Keynote & Fireside Chat

Lightweight Intercollegiate Pitch Competition

When workshops and the keynote wrapped up, the programming went straight into the Lightweight Intercollegiate Pitch Competition! 10 Startups went head-to-head in the toughest competition in San Diego. After 3 grueling rounds, Margaret Woo from Reliacare came out on top! ReliaCare is a mobile medical application that effectively guides patients through the pre-and post-operative process, leading to improved outcomes and satisfaction. Representing San Diego State University.

Check out the rest of the competitors:

1. 619 Design – Johann Hernandez – San Diego Community College District – 619 Design transforms architectural visions into tangible realities, one blueprint at a time.
2. After Hours – Kishan Pansuria – University of California, San Diego – After Hours connects you to meals up to 50% off at your favorite restaurants!
3. ANSELM – Nik Chekshin – Scripps Research – ANSELM is a SaaS energy data company delivering world-leading results in profitable emissions reduction by energy efficiency optimization of refineries and other heat-intensive industries.
4. Earth Fan Surf Co. – Anh Pham – Miramar Community College – Earth Fan Surf Co. produces traditional wooden Body Boards as an Eco-friendly alternative to today’s toxic polystyrene Boogie Boards.
5. Evera Bottle – Steffek Rainey – University of San Diego – We’ve created the world’s first bottle with built-in cutlery and straw, so you will be prepared to say no to plastic in any situation.
6. LockPod – Paulina Laba – University of California San Diego – Locking system of tomorrow.
7. Mabuhay Soaps – Alfredo Villalba – San Diego Community District College of Continuing Education – With Mabuhay soaps, what you smell is what you get.
8. New Tides Distillery – James Burdick – UCSD Rady School of Business – We are the first spirits company to create alcohol distilled directly from seawater.
9. ReliaCare – Margaret Yoo – San Diego State University – ReliaCare is a mobile medical application that effectively guides patients through the pre-and post-operative process, leading to improved outcomes and satisfaction.
10. Wild Genomics – Eirik Torheim – University of California San Diego – Supporting the Future of Farming through Precision Pest Monitoring

Watch the Intercollegiate Lightweight Pitch Competition