Entrepreneurship Club Wins Investment at WooTank Pitch Competition
Pitching a startup venture to a group of investors, like the show “Shark Tank”, isn’t something that Grace Presswood ’27 and Charlotte Sisson ’27 have ever done before—but this year, thanks to the WooTank Intercollegiate Showdown, that changed.
“When I got there and realized how real it was—that we were pitching to try and earn investment—it was a wake-up call,” said Presswood. “But once we got on the stage, we were more confident.”
Since 2023, students from colleges in Central Massachusetts have participated in Worcester’s version of “Shark Tank”, where they pitch business ventures to a panel of local investors who decide if their endeavors are worth backing.
The competition was held this year on April 7, and organized by the Venture Forum, an organization that helps to drive economic development in Central Massachusetts by providing educational programming and networking opportunities to businesses in the area.
Participating students were from Clark University, the College of the Holy Cross, Nichols College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Quinsigamond Community College, and, for the very first time, Assumption.
Assumption’s entry in the competition was led by members of the new Entrepreneurship Club, including Presswood, Sisson, Jevin Green ’28, Alisia Cacciola ’27, Shrishti Das ’29, Paola Merhi ’28, Liam McKay ’28, Allison Barton ’27, Annabelle Cook ’27, Olivia Rodriguez ’25, and advised by Professor Christopher Webber.
“WooTank provided students the opportunity to leverage their academic knowledge to create an on-campus, student-run business venture,” said Webber. “The start-up requirements required students to enhance their various talents, critical thinking, and communications skills beyond a classroom environment.”
The students’ venture, called the Boomerang Boutique, will bring a consignment shop right to Assumption’s campus. In the pitch, the group noted that an estimated four tons of dorm items are discarded across college campuses in the United States come the end of each school year, that there is a lack of affordable clothing options for students today, and that students are seeking experiential opportunities to build their resumes.
“Something we had talked about was how much waste we have at the end of the year, and what a way would be to serve the community not only environmentally but to also give back,” Rodriguez said. “We want to be able to make it a full circle, fruitful experience for everyone.”
The donations accepted for the shop will be selective to make sure that everyone involved in the process is getting the most out of it—they will only accept items that can be worn or used again without repairs.
“We’ll be very mindful of the things we collect, because we want to make the whole system seamless,” said Das.
The boutique will accept donations for either cash or a tag that can be used to purchase other donated items.
During the competition, Sisson and Presswood presented the group’s pitch deck to a panel of judges asking for funding for banners, store signage, racks, storage bins, and computer and point of sale applications for the boutique. To add to their presentation, Sisson wore thrifted items, presenting a tangible example of how the boutique can be beneficial to students.
“Once they started asking us questions, we realized that these people have the money to invest in us, and we have to make sure that we answer them well, so they understand what they’re investing in,” Sisson said.
The pitching experience was new for most of the students involved and, though nerve-wracking, helped the young entrepreneurs network and discover what other students were working on for their presentations.
“It was a fun environment,” said Das, who helped run Assumption’s table at the event. “We were able to learn from both students and advisors from other colleges.”
“It was eye opening to see what different schools have built and the other projects they were working on, but also how ours was very competitive with theirs,” Rodriguez said. “It was great exposure to investors for us. The whole experience gave us a feel for what we want to do with the project and who we have access to.”
This year’s panel of judges, Zach Dutton, executive director of the Auxilium startup hub; Evan Cox, a member of the Wire Group, based in Worcester; and Mike Byrnes, CEO of MB Corp, based in Oxford, awarded the Boomerang Boutique $1,000 in funding.
In addition, Assumption alumnus Mark Forster ’13, founder of Clutch, a payment processing service, attended the competition and will be donating a point-of-sale system to the club.
“When I first heard about the project the students were working on, I was immediately sent back to sitting in my entrepreneurship class in 2013. I remember the work involved when I was tasked with building a business plan. I think I saw a little piece of myself in them,” Forster said. “Now that I am on the other side of it, I know everything involved in getting a business off the ground, challenges included. I hope this donation and any other support I can provide will empower the students to turn their imagination into a successful business.”
The boutique has a dedicated place to exist on campus, near the Denecker CDIC, and the next steps for the club will be, accepting donations, establishing a web presence, setting up the space, and marketing.
“We’ve secured a space on campus, and now it’s about getting donations and a matter of building it all out and putting things together,” said Rodriguez.
Webber believes that the future is bright for the Boutique, the students, and the Entrepreneurship Club.
“The Boomerang Boutique is an excellent example of what Assumption students are capable of achieving today and in the future,” Webber said.