By Elisabeth Coon

CEDARVILLE, OHIO, Jan. 22, 2026 – Student-driven innovation will take center stage on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. in Cedarville University’s Dixon Ministry Center at The Pitch, a “Shark Tank”-style entrepreneurship competition. Five teams will present creative, faith-driven business concepts, many of which were first sparked in classrooms, dorm rooms and late-night conversations.

This annual event empowers students to explore entrepreneurship from a biblical worldview. Having progressed through multiple rounds of judging and coaching, the five finalists will present their business concepts to a panel of business leaders during the live event. The winning team will receive $1,000 to help them make the business concept into a practical product for consumers. Second- and third-place participants receive $500 and $250, respectively. 

Featured Contestants and Products

The 2026 finalists offer a diverse range of ideas and business perspectives. Among them are twin brothers John and Josiah Hardaway, senior information technology majors from Atoka, Tennessee, and founders of Twin Sentries Security, a startup designed to help churches and nonprofits protect digital assets against online attacks.

“Twin Sentries Security was developed with the purpose of equipping churches and small businesses to steward their digital resources well,” said the Hardaways, “We believe God calls everyone to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to them.”

Other finalists will present ventures like a restaurant rewards app aimed at supporting small-town businesses and a smoothie company geared toward the Cedarville community. Each idea addresses real-world challenges while integrating a biblical approach to business. In a landscape where students across the country are launching ventures with both financial and social impact, The Pitch gives Cedarville students the opportunity to make their ideas come to life.

What’s New This Year

This year marks a notable shift in format. For the first time, The Pitch will be a single, unified event, allowing directors to invest more time, resources and support while helping develop the finalists' business concepts. “We will have more resources, more time and more manpower to make this Pitch even better,” said Ben Ormsbee, assistant director of The Pitch.

To engage attendees, the directing team is adding high-energy video content that will set the pace for the rest of the event. These changes are designed to maintain momentum and keep the audience energized throughout. “We have structured the event to help people get inspired and excited about entrepreneurship,” Ormsbee said.

This year, organizers expect the highest attendance and participation yet, as The Pitch will serve as the finale for the university’s Business and Communication Preview Day.  Directors Aly Rooke, a junior marketing major from Bakersfield, California, Ormsbee, a senior finance major from Cedarville, Ohio, and Lillian Hall, a junior marketing major from Westerville, Ohio, see the event as more than a competition. They see it as a showcase of what mission-driven entrepreneurship can look like.

“The heart of entrepreneurship is biblical,” said Ormsbee. “In Genesis 1:28, God gave us the command to be fruitful and multiply. Entrepreneurship and The Pitch are manifestations of that.”

Event Experience

Attendees will participate in a red carpet-style pre-show experience. This includes interviews with judges and contestants, previews of student business concepts and booths featuring local Cedarville startups, such as Entrepreneurs for Christ (EFC), setting the stage for an engaging evening that will celebrate student innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. 

About Cedarville University

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.

For more information, please contact Mark D. Weinstein, Executive Director of Public Relations, at 937-532-6885 or mweinstein@cedarville.edu.