Top Left: First-year student Jonathan Hernandez pitches his idea to expand his towing company, ProntoW LLC.
Top Right: Alexa Kiss receives feedback on her pitch for Styles by Lex Beauty Suites. Kiss is a dual-enrolled student who hopes to build a franchise of salons for women across the country.
Bottom Left: Victoria Hippolyte poses next to her project, Verlodia Gems, a customizable jewelry brand specializing in beaded pieces.
Bottom Right: Judges and audience members listen to Hailey Deeb’s pitch for a monthly book club subscription service offering personalized “book of the month” boxes.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — April 27, 2026 — Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is marking a major milestone this spring with the graduation of its first class of students who earned their Associate of Science in Business Entrepreneurship, an achievement that highlights the rapid success and growth of the college’s newest academic program.
As a capstone to their experience, the graduating students recently presented their business ventures during the Student Pitch Competition Event, where they shared ideas and projects developed over months of research, planning and real-world application.
“The true value of this experience isn’t just in the pitches students deliver today. It’s in the confidence, creativity, and real-world perspective they carry with them as they leave FSW and step into the world ready to build, adapt and lead,” said Dr. Mary Meyers, dean of the School of Business and Technology. “We currently have 96 students enrolled in the program, which is phenomenal for the first year.”
On May 1, three students, Brandon Clark, Taylor Newman, and Citlally Irene Mendoza Lopez, will become the program’s first graduates, earning their associate in science degrees after a year of immersive, hands-on business education.
While the event included the opportunity to compete for up to $10,000 in seed funding, its primary purpose was to showcase the students’ growth and readiness to enter the business world.
“I founded Verlodia Gems, a customizable jewelry brand that specializes in beaded pieces,” said student Victoria Hippolyte. “I create bracelets and other jewelry, but my favorite piece is a two-bracelet set designed for a mother and her daughter. I can customize them with their names, which I believe adds special meaning to my work.”
The presentations were evaluated by guest judges Al Miller, owner of Wildcat Renovations, a Florida-based company specializing in demolition services, and Sylvia Dorisme, CEO of Zeal Technical Institute, who offered professional insight and feedback drawn from their entrepreneurial and industry experience.
The most significant moment of the event came when Miller announced a major opportunity to invest in one of the student ventures. Jack Geerson, a first-semester student at FSW, created an app called PlanScan that enables commercial developers to run pre-compliance checks on their permitting plans against building and planning codes within a specific city or county. The app flags errors before submission, helping save time in the permitting process. It can also track approval timelines, manage and adjust budgets and send projects directly to city planning offices.
“This is the ultimate professional validation for my business idea and was exactly what I was looking for in this project,” said Geerson, who is pursuing an associate degree in business administration and management. “It’s encouraging to know that potential customers would find value in it. This was a huge confidence booster and gave me much-needed clarity.”
The pitch event was held in the Frank G. Daveler Entrepreneurship Institute on campus. To develop these projects, besides the classroom, students worked in the labs of the Daveler Innovation Center. These spaces allow students to gain practical experience using advanced technologies like Vibe Boards, high-end PCs, and professional cameras to collaborate and develop content as well as design and produce various marketing materials, merchandize and actual products using cutting-edge CNC machining, UV and wide format printing and other makerspace tools.
"At the Frank G. Daveler Entrepreneurship Institute, we are proving that when you combine world-class faculty mentorship with real capital, students—from high schoolers to graduating seniors—can turn 'unimaginable' dreams into market-ready realities,” said Program Director Dr. Peter Ocsody. “This program isn't just about business; it’s about life-changing transformation."
The program is already making an impact beyond campus. Newman is a clear example. Before graduating this spring, he participated in the prestigious Start Up Crash Course at Technical University of Berlin in summer 2025, a four-week intensive focused on developing viable business models. He went on to win the program’s final pitch competition, underscoring both his individual achievement and the strength of FSW’s emerging entrepreneurship curriculum.
“Being part of the program challenges you to see the problems around you more clearly and take an active role in solving them,” explained Newman. “For someone who’s solution-oriented, that kind of real-world experience is incredibly meaningful.”
As FSW celebrates its first Entrepreneurship graduates, the program continues to build a foundation for future innovators, equipping students with the skills, confidence and applied experience needed to succeed in business and beyond.
“The strong support system cultivated within the FSW Entrepreneurship Program truly revealed its value, giving me lasting confidence in my path forward,” noted Geerson. “For that, I am deeply grateful to all of the professors whose guidance made that clarity possible.”