Wave Creations was one of five student teams pitching to investors for a total of $30,000 in seed funding. An extra $1,000 was awarded to "audience favorite," Team MOT.
The Startup Showcase gave us an additional perspective on the meaning of our brand and increased our confidence in what we can accomplish.
— Paige Governale '27
The Fairfield StartUp Showcase on Thursday, April 25, at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts was a testament to the entrepreneurial drive of Fairfield University students. Following a year of research, presentations, business development, and mentorship, five student teams pitched their business ideas to a panel of investors for $30,000 of seed funding. The showcase was hosted by Fairfield alumna Mariana Antaya '23, a product manager at Microsoft Teams and founder of quantifAI - a fintech startup that commenced at Fairfield Startup in 2022.
The beach-inspired lifestyle brand Wave Creations took first place and $12,500. Through their products, Madison Governale '26 and her sister Paige Governale '27 aim to build a community of beach lovers and adventure enthusiasts who share their passion for exploring the world.
"It feels amazing to see our hard work pay off and we are super excited to grow Wave Creations by continuing to spread our message," shared Paige. "Both Madison and I have been working extremely hard, especially within the last year, and we’ve really seen our passion and creativity expand."
As the winnng sisters showcased their impressive revenue growth of $80,000 since their business launched, and their strategic focus on leveraging social media reach and creative design backgrounds, they captivated the investor panel, drawing admiration for their innovative approach and trajectory.
The investor panel featured the following alumni and business professionals: Joseph Bronson '70, principal and CEO of The Bronson Group, LLC; Chris Hillock ’00, vice president and head of portfolio development at Dell Technologies Capital; Jamie Ramerini ’13 chief operating officer of COMPEL CEOs; Mindee Blanco P’24, chief operating officer and co-founder of Barnum Financial Group; and Thomas M. Scalera '93 , chief executive officer of Delticus Group.
The investors evaluated each team based on business concept, value proposition, viability of the business, and the potential of the team. Once the teams finished their pitches, the panel deliberated on how much funding would be awarded to each team.
Following discussion among the investor panel, the 2024 StartUp Showcase awards were announced: team Financially received an honorable mention and $2,500; Misfits of the Sea (MOTS) took third place and $5,000; Higher Skills took runner-up and $7,500; and Wave Creations took first place and $12,500. MOTS was awarded an additional $1,000 as Audience Choice, based on votes cast by the audience during the show via the Pre-App.
“The Startup Showcase gave us an additional perspective on the meaning of our brand and increased our confidence in what we can accomplish. Being able to spread our brand into Fairfield’s community is heartwarming, especially considering we are both underclassmen students,” said Paige Governale.
