Don’t miss the action as students compete for seed money in front of a panel of investors and a live audience at the Showcase on April 26.
Each of the four student teams have worked hard since the fall to hone their...pitches. Our investor panel includes some of our biggest supporters.
— — Chris Huntley, PhD, associate professor and StartUp program director
The time is quickly approaching where four student teams will have the chance to put their business pitches to the test in front of a panel of investors at the seventh annual Fairfield StartUp Showcase on Thursday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Quick Center.
The evening will unfold where students will go before a panel of four investors in this shark tank-style competition, to not only pitch their business plans, but to also negotiate live.
“Fairfield StartUp is trying to top last year’s Showcase, which had an audience of over 4,000 people watching at the Quick Center and from home viewing live on Facebook, and almost $40,000 was pledged to student startup teams,” said Chris Huntley, PhD, associate professor and StartUp program director. “Each of the four student teams have worked hard since the fall to hone their business models and pitches. Our investor panel includes some of our biggest supporters.”
Meet the 2018 Fairfield StartUp Showcase Investor Panel
Adam Belardino ’06
Adam Belardino is a financial services executive with Barnum Financial Group. Prior to joining Barnum, Adam worked for MetLife in the Service, Strategy, and Planning team within IB Operations and Services. Since 2010, he has been a part of an elite group of advisors who earned MetLife Premier Client Group’s Platinum Advisor Recognition. In his community, Adam is a member of the Umbrella Club Charter Group which specializes in community work supporting children and adults with special needs. Adam graduated from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ with a BS in Economics and a BA in Political Science.
Joseph Bronson ’70
Joseph (Joe) Bronson is currently principal and CEO of The Bronson Group, LLC, a business advisory group focused on operational and financial consulting. In addition, he is a strategic advisor and managing director of Cowen Group, Inc., a New York City-based investment banking firm, and a member of the Board of Trustees of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´. Joe is a CPA and holds a BS in Accounting from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He was inducted into the UConn Business School Hall of Fame in 2006 and the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2017.
Scott DePetris ’99
Scott DePetris is co-founder and CEO of Liquid Digital Holdings, LLC and a proven serial entrepreneur. Prior to joining Liquid Digital, he was a founding member and president of Portware, LLC, as well as a co-founder and SVP of ExchangeLab, Inc. Scott serves on numerous for-profit boards and is a board member of the prestigious Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He is also an active philanthropist and serves as the Chairman of LSA Family Health Service and is a board member at Domus Kids in Stamford, CT. Scott graduated from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ with a BS in Economics and Finance.
Mary Anne Rooke P'20
Mary Anne Rooke is the founder of Rooke & Associates, a boutique management consulting firm that specializes in helping early stage technology companies on the verge of high growth. She is also executive director of Crossroads Venture Group (CVG), Connecticut's investor, entrepreneur, and resource network, and is president and managing director of Angel Investor Forum (AIF) Board of Directors, a Connecticut-based angel group. Mary Anne also consults for the UConn Innovation Fund, as well as many other regional accelerators, and has held leadership positions in multiple industries ranging from startup ventures to Fortune 500 companies. Mary Anne graduated from Annhurst College with a BS in Accounting and has her MBA from Golden Gate University's Executive MBA Program.
