March 5, 2025Thinking of a creative and unique business idea is a challenge for even the globe’s most talented and proven business professionals. Give that same challenge to a group of high school students all attending exceptional schools, and the results are sure to impress. How could students in Grades 9 – 12 create a start-up idea, product, or service from inception to implementation? One that would also impress a panel of judges made up of industry professionals? That’s what a group of educators week to discover at the yearly Startups at Spring Competition.
The competition is open to high school students attending a Spring Education Group school and focuses on a specific type of business start-up. This year’s theme was “Wellness in the Workplace” and it allowed the students to think outside of the box and present their ideas, first to their local school, and then one team from each school was selected and invited to attend a network-wide competition. Students then made the same presentation but, instead of it being in front of their peers and school administration, it was in front of industry professionals.
The professionals judge the competition on the feasibility and profitability of each idea presented. Judges listened to see if the teams explained their business idea clearly, was it unique, and implemented the year’s theme. Beyond those basic judging expectations, they also sought to see if the team understood and addressed the financial challenges of starting a business, did they effectively present their market strategy, and could they answer confidently improvisational questions regarding their “pitch.”
Ms. Jaymie Silva, BASIS Independent Schools Subject Expert Teacher and organizer of the competition said, “I was so impressed with the level of maturity in this year’s presentations. Our theme was wellness, and we had students speaking on subjects related to health, safety, and well-being at levels far beyond their teenage years. It really makes me hopeful that they will be able to bring some of these ideas to fruition in the future.”
The top three teams are awarded prize money to be donated to a charity of their choice.
Third Place: Team Wanderphyll
(awarded $2,000)
Team members: Akhil G. (Grade 9) and Jacob L. (Grade 9)
School: BASIS Independent Silicon Valley
Startup: Wanderphyll: Explore the Wanderphyll World of Nature
Selected Charity: World Wildlife Fund
Pitch: Stress and laziness from schools and offices have caused people to stop going outside. People would rather spend their free time on their phones or watching TV. Mental health issues like depression increase alongside with pressure and stress from work and constant screen time and lack of exercise. Going outside to nature restores people’s mental well-being and reduces depression and anxiety in most people.
Wanderphyll is a mobile app that incentivizes going outdoors by turning it into a passive game.
Team Take Away
The entire Startups at Spring experience has been a wonderful learning opportunity; allowing us to experience the full process of fleshing out an idea into a detailed framework for a startup. It was a fun experience and we enjoyed watching the other presentations and we’re glad that it was also able to make a positive impact in the form of a donation to a charity. Additionally, we’d like to thank the organizers, especially Ms. Silva, and the judges for making the whole competition possible.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
Second Place: Team SipSense
(awarded $3,000)
Team members: Rishik P. (Grade 10) and Aarya V. (Grade 11)
School: BASIS Independent McLean
Startup: SipSense: Have a Sense of What You’re Sipping
Selected Charity: US-India Solidarity Mission
Pitch: 11 million women in the U.S. have been assaulted or worse as a result of involuntary consumption of drugs through drinks. More than 80% of women have reported an imminent need for safer pubs, bars, and restaurants.
The solution? A drug sensor system that is accurate, reusable, discrete, and is connected to a multi-functional app.
Team Take Away
Developing our startup idea and building a prototype was a truly unique and inspiring journey. It expanded our vision of what’s possible–from further product development and manufacturing to real-world application. Throughout this competition, we discovered our ability to create innovative solutions that address genuine needs in modern society. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Wright and Mr. Biemesderfer for helping refine our pitch deck to its best possible version. Above all, this experience taught us that many of today’s societal challenges remain inadequately addressed, and there is a critical demand for creative, effective solutions.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
First Place: Team OurIBD
(awarded $5,000)
Team members: Zoe A. (Grade 9)
School: Laurel Springs
Startup: OurIBD: AI Powered Gut Health Tracking – From Toilet to Data, Instantly
Selected Charity: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Pitch: 10 million plus are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) globally. 80% struggle with tracking symptoms accurately and current solutions are invasive, expensive, and unreliable. Patients are forced to guess, leading to frequent ER visits and worsening health.
The solution is an AI-powered, non-invasive stool monitoring device.
Team Take Away
Winning 1st place in the Startups at Spring Competition isn’t just an award–it’s validation that an idea born from my own struggles has the power to help others. I started OurIBD because I knew firsthand how frustrating and exhausting it is to manage IBD with delayed test results, invasive procedures, and unreliable tracking methods. What began as a personal project–a way to automate symptom tracking and detect inflammation through AI–has grown into something real, impactful, and now, recognized.
Pitching my startup, seeing industry leaders believe in what I’m building was a moment I’ll never forget. It reinforced that this isn’t just a personal solution–it’s something that can truly change lives. I’m incredibly honored, not just for the recognition, but for the chance to take this further, refine my prototype, and push toward making this available to real patients. And to give back, I’m honored to be donating my $5,000 prize to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation–an organization that has supported my family and I since diagnosis, and helps millions of others just like myself.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
Expert Judging Panel
Mr. John Forte is the CEO and President of VT-ARC, responsible for guiding strategic growth in applied research and development with the intent of strengthening national security, driving societal impact, and improving the human condition. In this capacity he also oversees 5 Innovation Centers for the Air and Space Force, drawing together government, industry and academia to advance research and accelerate innovation.
Prior to VT-ARC, Mr. Forte served as one of the US Air and Space Force’s 5 science and technology executives (EPAs), responsible for advising the command, control, communications and networking needs of the warfighter and the Department of Defense. He was charged with creating forward leaning and innovative ecosystems focusing upon the toughest challenges across multiple operating domains. During this time Mr. Forte also served as an advisor on the Defense Science Board for critical infrastructure resilience.
Mr. Forte served nearly 10 years as a senior leader within the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). His culminating assignment was as the Executive for the Homeland Protection Mission Area, directing the development and implementation of technologies and solutions to protect the United States against a variety of asymmetric threats. While at JHU, he founded and served as the Interim Director of JHU’s Institute for Assured Autonomy, a center of excellence charged with driving safety, security, and reliability into the future autonomous world.
Mr. Forte served in numerous senior leadership positions within the public and private sectors, including the Morgan Franklin Corporation, MITRE, and as the Chief Scientist for the White House Communications Agency. He also served as a communications officer in the US Army, assigned to multiple airborne and special operations units and deploying in support of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
Mr. Forte earned a BSEE from the University of Tulsa and an MSEE from George Washington University with a focus in Communications and Networks. He also completed Executive Programs at the Harvard Kennedy School on Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology; as well as on National and International Security.
Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm, that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai, Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, and enterprise software companies in the Silicon Valley, investing in 300+ early stage technology companies (including being an early investor in companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Figure, Perplexity, SpaceX, Palantir, etc.).
Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015. Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from 0 to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford & MIT.
He received his B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded 7 U.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.
Mr. Ken Snyder serves as the Executive Director of the Shingo Institute and as a Senior Lecturer in the department of Marketing, Strategy, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship (MSLE) of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. He has regularly taught the business planning course in the Entrepreneurship program.
Mr. Snyder earned an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1980 with an emphasis in international business. Immediately after graduation, Mr. Snyder joined a Japanese electronics manufacturing company and led the startup of its U.S. affiliate company as plant manager, CFO, and later president of that company.
Mr. Snyder then raised money to launch a venture startup company which ultimately was unsuccessful. Mr. Snyder then led a corporate-backed startup company, Progressive Impressions International (PII) in Bloomington, Illinois. Following this successful startup, Mr. Snyder then led a corporate venture capital fund within Taylor Corporation.
Before joining the Huntsman School, Mr. Snyder was president of Marketing Communication Inc., an operating division of Taylor Corporation, where he directed a group of six companies while growing revenues from $25 million to over $80 million. He joined the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in 2008.
Startups @ Spring Competition 2025
Published: March 5, 2025Thinking of a creative and unique business idea is a challenge for even the globe’s most talented and proven business professionals. Give that same challenge to a group of high school students all attending exceptional schools, and the results are sure to impress. How could students in Grades 9 – 12 create a start-up idea, product, or service from inception to implementation? One that would also impress a panel of judges made up of industry professionals? That’s what a group of educators week to discover at the yearly Startups at Spring Competition.
The competition is open to high school students attending a Spring Education Group school and focuses on a specific type of business start-up. This year’s theme was “Wellness in the Workplace” and it allowed the students to think outside of the box and present their ideas, first to their local school, and then one team from each school was selected and invited to attend a network-wide competition. Students then made the same presentation but, instead of it being in front of their peers and school administration, it was in front of industry professionals.
The professionals judge the competition on the feasibility and profitability of each idea presented. Judges listened to see if the teams explained their business idea clearly, was it unique, and implemented the year’s theme. Beyond those basic judging expectations, they also sought to see if the team understood and addressed the financial challenges of starting a business, did they effectively present their market strategy, and could they answer confidently improvisational questions regarding their “pitch.”
Ms. Jaymie Silva, BASIS Independent Schools Subject Expert Teacher and organizer of the competition said, “I was so impressed with the level of maturity in this year’s presentations. Our theme was wellness, and we had students speaking on subjects related to health, safety, and well-being at levels far beyond their teenage years. It really makes me hopeful that they will be able to bring some of these ideas to fruition in the future.”
The top three teams are awarded prize money to be donated to a charity of their choice.
Third Place: Team Wanderphyll
(awarded $2,000)
Team members: Akhil G. (Grade 9) and Jacob L. (Grade 9)
School: BASIS Independent Silicon Valley
Startup: Wanderphyll: Explore the Wanderphyll World of Nature
Selected Charity: World Wildlife Fund
Pitch: Stress and laziness from schools and offices have caused people to stop going outside. People would rather spend their free time on their phones or watching TV. Mental health issues like depression increase alongside with pressure and stress from work and constant screen time and lack of exercise. Going outside to nature restores people’s mental well-being and reduces depression and anxiety in most people.
Wanderphyll is a mobile app that incentivizes going outdoors by turning it into a passive game.
Team Take Away
The entire Startups at Spring experience has been a wonderful learning opportunity; allowing us to experience the full process of fleshing out an idea into a detailed framework for a startup. It was a fun experience and we enjoyed watching the other presentations and we’re glad that it was also able to make a positive impact in the form of a donation to a charity. Additionally, we’d like to thank the organizers, especially Ms. Silva, and the judges for making the whole competition possible.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
Second Place: Team SipSense
(awarded $3,000)
Team members: Rishik P. (Grade 10) and Aarya V. (Grade 11)
School: BASIS Independent McLean
Startup: SipSense: Have a Sense of What You’re Sipping
Selected Charity: US-India Solidarity Mission
Pitch: 11 million women in the U.S. have been assaulted or worse as a result of involuntary consumption of drugs through drinks. More than 80% of women have reported an imminent need for safer pubs, bars, and restaurants.
The solution? A drug sensor system that is accurate, reusable, discrete, and is connected to a multi-functional app.
Team Take Away
Developing our startup idea and building a prototype was a truly unique and inspiring journey. It expanded our vision of what’s possible–from further product development and manufacturing to real-world application. Throughout this competition, we discovered our ability to create innovative solutions that address genuine needs in modern society. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Wright and Mr. Biemesderfer for helping refine our pitch deck to its best possible version. Above all, this experience taught us that many of today’s societal challenges remain inadequately addressed, and there is a critical demand for creative, effective solutions.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
First Place: Team OurIBD
(awarded $5,000)
Team members: Zoe A. (Grade 9)
School: Laurel Springs
Startup: OurIBD: AI Powered Gut Health Tracking – From Toilet to Data, Instantly
Selected Charity: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Pitch: 10 million plus are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) globally. 80% struggle with tracking symptoms accurately and current solutions are invasive, expensive, and unreliable. Patients are forced to guess, leading to frequent ER visits and worsening health.
The solution is an AI-powered, non-invasive stool monitoring device.
Team Take Away
Winning 1st place in the Startups at Spring Competition isn’t just an award–it’s validation that an idea born from my own struggles has the power to help others. I started OurIBD because I knew firsthand how frustrating and exhausting it is to manage IBD with delayed test results, invasive procedures, and unreliable tracking methods. What began as a personal project–a way to automate symptom tracking and detect inflammation through AI–has grown into something real, impactful, and now, recognized.
Pitching my startup, seeing industry leaders believe in what I’m building was a moment I’ll never forget. It reinforced that this isn’t just a personal solution–it’s something that can truly change lives. I’m incredibly honored, not just for the recognition, but for the chance to take this further, refine my prototype, and push toward making this available to real patients. And to give back, I’m honored to be donating my $5,000 prize to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation–an organization that has supported my family and I since diagnosis, and helps millions of others just like myself.
To view their entire presentation, click here.
Expert Judging Panel
Mr. John Forte is the CEO and President of VT-ARC, responsible for guiding strategic growth in applied research and development with the intent of strengthening national security, driving societal impact, and improving the human condition. In this capacity he also oversees 5 Innovation Centers for the Air and Space Force, drawing together government, industry and academia to advance research and accelerate innovation.
Prior to VT-ARC, Mr. Forte served as one of the US Air and Space Force’s 5 science and technology executives (EPAs), responsible for advising the command, control, communications and networking needs of the warfighter and the Department of Defense. He was charged with creating forward leaning and innovative ecosystems focusing upon the toughest challenges across multiple operating domains. During this time Mr. Forte also served as an advisor on the Defense Science Board for critical infrastructure resilience.
Mr. Forte served nearly 10 years as a senior leader within the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). His culminating assignment was as the Executive for the Homeland Protection Mission Area, directing the development and implementation of technologies and solutions to protect the United States against a variety of asymmetric threats. While at JHU, he founded and served as the Interim Director of JHU’s Institute for Assured Autonomy, a center of excellence charged with driving safety, security, and reliability into the future autonomous world.
Mr. Forte served in numerous senior leadership positions within the public and private sectors, including the Morgan Franklin Corporation, MITRE, and as the Chief Scientist for the White House Communications Agency. He also served as a communications officer in the US Army, assigned to multiple airborne and special operations units and deploying in support of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
Mr. Forte earned a BSEE from the University of Tulsa and an MSEE from George Washington University with a focus in Communications and Networks. He also completed Executive Programs at the Harvard Kennedy School on Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology; as well as on National and International Security.
Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm, that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai, Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, and enterprise software companies in the Silicon Valley, investing in 300+ early stage technology companies (including being an early investor in companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Figure, Perplexity, SpaceX, Palantir, etc.).
Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015. Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from 0 to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford & MIT.
He received his B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded 7 U.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.
Mr. Ken Snyder serves as the Executive Director of the Shingo Institute and as a Senior Lecturer in the department of Marketing, Strategy, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship (MSLE) of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. He has regularly taught the business planning course in the Entrepreneurship program.
Mr. Snyder earned an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1980 with an emphasis in international business. Immediately after graduation, Mr. Snyder joined a Japanese electronics manufacturing company and led the startup of its U.S. affiliate company as plant manager, CFO, and later president of that company.
Mr. Snyder then raised money to launch a venture startup company which ultimately was unsuccessful. Mr. Snyder then led a corporate-backed startup company, Progressive Impressions International (PII) in Bloomington, Illinois. Following this successful startup, Mr. Snyder then led a corporate venture capital fund within Taylor Corporation.
Before joining the Huntsman School, Mr. Snyder was president of Marketing Communication Inc., an operating division of Taylor Corporation, where he directed a group of six companies while growing revenues from $25 million to over $80 million. He joined the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in 2008.