## StartUp Westport Launches Inaugural Pitch Competition

**StartUp Westport** is set to launch its **first-ever pitch competition** this week, featuring **five innovative entrepreneurs** competing for **$25,000 in non-dilutive funding** to advance their business ideas.

### Shark Tank-Style Event Details

The high-stakes event will take place at **6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20th**, at the **Westport Library**. This **Shark Tank-style competition** is free to attend, with tickets available through [Luma](https://luma.com/7kswpz5p).

### Rigorous Selection Process

This competition represents the culmination of a **months-long selection process** that began with **77 pre-institutional funding startups** with Connecticut-based founders or strong state connections applying for assistance. From this pool, **21 promising startups** were selected to participate in intensive **coaching and mentorship programs** provided by StartUp Westport mentors, the Westport Library's business librarian, and local experts.

### The Five Finalists

After months of dedicated mentorship and coaching, **five standout finalists** have been chosen to present their live pitches:

- **Chroma Shield**: A healthcare technology company developing a **smart, wearable patch** that detects and monitors radiation therapy-induced dermatitis, providing early warning signs of inflammation and complications to improve patient outcomes through better clinical care and at-home monitoring collaboration.

- **Mirabelle Medical**: A healthcare technology company offering a **wellness device for women** that enables more effective self-exams for breast cancer between mammograms.

- **Neuro Puffs**: A food innovation company creating **adaptogen-powered snacks** from superfood mushrooms grown on upcycled food waste, providing an environmentally friendly and affordable option for improving energy and focus.

- **Nexa Tax**: A financial services technology company addressing the **unmet need of assisting college athletes** with managing their taxes when profiting from their name, image, or likeness.

- **Wheel Price**: An automotive technology company providing a **trusted online marketplace** for car enthusiasts to buy and sell used parts.

### Expert Judging Panel

The final pitches will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of **Westport-based venture capitalists**, including:

- Matt Gorin of Contour Venture Partners
- Kal Amin of 1848 Ventures
- Kira Vanderwert of Outsiders Fund
- Cliff Sirlin of Launch Capital

Cliff Sirlin also serves as **president of StartUp Westport**, which was established in March 2023 to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in Fairfield County. The organization has since grown to an impressive **2,700 members**.

![StartUp Westport logo](https://westportjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-17-222609.png)

StartUp Westport will launch its first pitch competition this week, with five entrepreneurs vying for $25,000 in non-dilutive funding to help advance their business idea.

5 Game-Changing Startups Compete for $25K in Westport's First-Ever Pitch Battle

## The MBA vs Entrepreneurship Debate

Going to a two-year, in-person MBA program has long been a rite of passage for young professionals in finance, tech, and consulting. It's a time to learn, develop ideas—and most of all, to network.

But one tech billionaire says nothing compares to just jumping right into **entrepreneurship**, and getting an MBA isn't really all it's cracked up to be. When asked by podcaster Codie Sanchez if people should get an MBA, **Joe Liemandt** promptly said "no."

"That's an easy one for me," said the Trilogy Software and ESW Capital founder. "There's nothing on the business knowledge that you're going to come out of there that is a fraction of what you would get from **building your own thing** for that two years."

## The Practical Experience Advantage

To be sure, Liemandt isn't much of an academic—rather someone who values **real-life experience**. He attended Stanford University for undergrad, but dropped out to start Trilogy Software in 1989, which quickly became a major player in enterprise software, focused on product configuration and sales automation.

At its peak, Trilogy achieved annual revenues around $120 million and launched successful spinoffs including pcorder.com, which went public during the dot-com boom. A few years later, Liemandt switched his focus to ESW Capital, which specializes in buying struggling software companies and turning them into profitable businesses.

Liemandt was so dedicated to learning on the job, in fact, the company established **Trilogy University**, an intensive training boot camp for new hires, which inspired similar programs at tech giants Google and Facebook.

## The Mindset Difference: MBA Grads vs Entrepreneurs

Liemandt defined the difference he sees between those who choose to pursue a two-year MBA program and those who go straight into building their own companies.

"**Entrepreneurs** believe they're going to change the world, no matter what everybody else thinks," he said. "Here's your problem as an MBA: You're going to look at the spreadsheet and you're going to say, 'that cell doesn't work, so the spreadsheet doesn't [work]. So I'm not going to do this idea, right, because you're just looking at it and analyzing."

On the flip side, however, Liemandt argued entrepreneurs look more creatively at problem solving.

"An entrepreneur looks at that cell and says, 'I will change that cell. I will make that work,'" he said. "If you're going to be a **builder** and an entrepreneur, you're gonna go change reality. That is what you do."

## The Cost-Benefit Analysis of MBA Programs

Like the rising cost of undergraduate programs, MBA programs have also gotten more expensive—particularly if you're looking at the top business school programs in the country.

The total cost for a two-year program at Harvard Business School could set you back about $250,000 (including tuition and other costs). But the median base salary for 2025 HBS MBA grads was $184,500, plus a $30,000 signing bonus. That's about three times the U.S. overall median full-time salary.

Meanwhile, an MBA is the go-to degree for about 40% of Fortune 1000 executives.

"When making pivots that often need to be made as a business leader, it's those **soft skills** that help motivate people to be agile and flexible in taking on challenges they may feel are slightly beyond their current capabilities," Joy Jones, CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council, previously told Fortune.

## Success Stories Without Formal Degrees

Of course, plenty of successful businesspeople made it all the way to the top without an MBA degree—or even an undergraduate degree. Apple founder Steve Jobs, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Dell founder Michael Dell, and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg are all college dropouts—and each are megabillionaires today.

"Truth be told, I never graduated from college. This is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation," Jobs said at the 2005 Stanford commencement ceremony. "It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made."

When asked by podcaster Codie Sanchez if people should get an MBA, Joe Liemandt promptly said “no.”

Tech Billionaire's Shocking MBA Take: Why Real-World Entrepreneurship Beats Business School Every Time

If you have big dreams of starting your own business, two Houston universities have been named the best places in all of North America and Europe to get an education.

![University of Houston](https://media.khou.com/assets/KHOU/images/aab483ee-b8f5-424e-a687-bcce1d3f3bc9/20251117T221730/aab483ee-b8f5-424e-a687-bcce1d3f3bc9_16x9.jpg)

## The Princeton Review's 20th Annual Rankings

The Princeton Review's 20th annual rankings named the top 50 undergraduate and top 50 graduate schools offering the best programs in entrepreneurship studies for 2026.

The **University of Houston** is #1 for undergraduate schools, while **Rice University** claimed the top spot for graduate schools.

"The colleges and universities that made our lists for 2026 are truly exceptional," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor in chief. "We strongly recommend these schools to students aspiring to become entrepreneurs."

This is the **seventh straight year** that UH and Rice have been at the top of the rankings.

"Their entrepreneurship studies programs have robust experiential components. Their faculties are outstanding. Their students have access to extraordinary mentors and networking contacts that will serve them well into their careers," Franek added.

*Entrepreneur* magazine has a 15-page article on the universities in its November-December issue.

## UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

![Wolff Center](https://media.khou.com/assets/KHOU/images/b42b7e42-83c1-4387-84ad-617e9e7d88b9/20251117T224135/b42b7e42-83c1-4387-84ad-617e9e7d88b9_16x9.jpg)

The Princeton Review cited a variety of classes, affordability, research and academic opportunities, and a vast alumni network among the reasons the **Wolff Center in UH's Bauer College of Business** topped the list.

"Its location in the corporate center of Houston, where the opportunities that are provided are immense," the review said. "This built-in real-world experience is buoyed by the dedication and expertise of the career advisors at this institution, who have significantly contributed to students' success in navigating their professional paths."

The Wolff Center's continued success underscores its ability to transform students into service-minded entrepreneurial leaders.

"Entrepreneurs fuel job creation, innovations and community development, which makes this No. 1 ranking so impactful," said UH President Renu Khator. "We're not only graduating students from a prestigious program, we're elevating the city, state and beyond."

Founded in 1991, recent Wolff Center program highlights include:

- **89 majors enrolled** last year
- **52 entrepreneurship-related undergraduate courses** offered last year
- **670 mentors involved** last year
- **1,121 businesses launched** by entrepreneurial graduates from 2015-24
- **$1 billion fundraised** by program participants to jump-start their businesses over the past decade
- Over **$25 million received** from donors in the last decade

## Rice Business School

![Rice Business School](https://media.khou.com/assets/KHOU/images/babd1c5d-d763-493b-9c58-15c8bcaa444a/20251117T223933/babd1c5d-d763-493b-9c58-15c8bcaa444a_16x9.jpg)

Rice University credits its continuing success to the business school's "enduring commitment to innovation, venture creation and the cultivation of an entrepreneurial environment to build talent."

The private school cites these primary reasons behind the No. 1 ranking for the **Rice Business School**:

- **Specialized curriculum**: "Rice Business offers one of the country's most comprehensive entrepreneurship specializations within its MBA program, enabling students to focus deeply on venture creation, startup strategy and growth-oriented leadership."
- **Robust entrepreneurial ecosystem**: "The university's entrepreneurial ecosystem provides direct access to mentors, investor networks, seed funding and pitch competitions."
- **Location advantage**: "Rice students benefit from proximity to corporate headquarters, energy-technology hubs, venture capital activity and a vibrant startup scene — fueling live-deal experience and networking opportunities."
- **Student-driven success**: "Each graduating cohort leaves with not only a degree but exposure to launching, scaling or working in high-growth ventures. The interplay of coursework, experiential programs and community engagement fosters an entrepreneurial mindset."

"Earning this top ranking once is a milestone, but achieving it seven years straight is unprecedented and speaks volumes about our community, our curriculum, our programs, our faculty and our students," said Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business.

"To continue the legacy we've created, we need to lean into our entrepreneurial mindset even more to push boundaries, support bold ideas and reinvent what's possible," added Yael Hochberg, head of the Rice Entrepreneurship Initiative. "Innovation is part of our DNA. It's the standard we hold ourselves to every single day."

The University of Houston claims the No. 1 spot for entrepreneurs in undergraduate studies, and Rice University was named the best college for graduate programs.

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