The University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) wrapped up a successful end-of-semester Pitch Showcase for its startup incubator program Dec. 12 at MERGE Iowa City.

A total of $5,000 was awarded in two categories.

Savanna Kaczynski and WedGen won first place and $1,000 in the Tech/Student Lifestyle category. Sydney Fox and ReGrip won first place and $1,000 in the Consumer Product category. WedGen is an all-in-one wedding planning platform; ReGrip is a climbing shoe repair brand that offers simple repair solutions that allow climbers to restore worn rubber themselves.

The runners-up in each category received $700 apiece — Daniel Mendez and Easy-org (Tech/Student Lifestyle) and Leo Myers and Kappie Studios (Consumer Product).

The nine finalists who advanced to the Pitch Showcase received a cash prize. 

About Iowa JPEC: Iowa JPEC fosters entrepreneurship and innovation across the state of Iowa by providing a range of educational and training programs and support services for entrepreneurial ventures and existing small-to-medium size businesses. A key component of this mission is Iowa JPEC’s Undergraduate Student Incubator, which offers student founders mentorship, resources, and a supportive community to help them develop and launch their ventures. Iowa JPEC is dedicated to nurturing the growth of new ventures and assisting them in reaching their full potential.