RWU Students Sweep Two Rhode Island Business Pitch Contests
With winning pitches, Gabelli School of Business students demonstrate the power of entrepreneurship in shaping the future of small businesses and product innovation.
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Roger Williams University students are making waves in the regional world of entrepreneurship, earning top honors at the second annual Rhode Island Business Competition’s Student Pitch Contest, held in February at Bryant University.
Alyssa Fournier, a senior double majoring in Marketing and Management from Denver, took home first place, while Elix Alexander, a sophomore Accounting major and Food Studies minor from New York City, secured third. The Rhode Island Business Competition’s Student Pitch Contest is a fast-paced event that allows entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas in a 90-second pitch. Designed to foster the growth of Rhode Island companies, the contest serves as a springboard for students to make meaningful connections and gain valuable feedback from industry professionals.
For Fournier, this win represents the culmination of years of entrepreneurial experience and a deep understanding of the challenges small businesses face, hurdles she knows firsthand as a successful jewelry business owner. That struggle sparked the idea behind her $500 winning pitch: a subscription-based model that equips artisans with essential business expertise, offers a retail platform to showcase their work, and supports brick-and-mortar small businesses struggling to sustain themselves under the traditional wholesale model.
“Winning the pitch competition feels incredible,” said Fournier, who also serves as Vice President of RWU’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) Club. “The most important aspect of my business model is that it solves two major challenges: helping artisans and small businesses expand into retail, while also supporting stores struggling with the rise of online competition.”
Fournier’s concept is already in motion at Imagine Gift Store in Warren, owned by RWU alum Michelle Santiago ’11. Since its launch in November, Fournier’s initiative now supports 120 artisans under the subscription.
Alexander, who also serves as Secretary of the CEO Club, received third place for her pitch on a product designed to address a personal pain point: nosebleeds. Inspired by her mother, an emergency room physician, Alexander proposed a reusable device that provides relief for nosebleeds, aimed at making treatment more affordable and environmentally sustainable. Her invention is poised to tap into a rapidly growing market, and the $200 prize will help her take her product to the next stage of development.
“The prize money will definitely help me move forward in bringing my product to life. It gives me the financial flexibility to focus on the molds and the patent process, making it feel like a more achievable goal,” Alexander said. “My experiences at RWU have shaped me into the entrepreneur I am today, from joining the CEO Club to being mentored by Alyssa, who has motivated me to pursue my own business. It’s amazing to see how being part of this community has pushed me to step up, not just as a student, but as someone ready to take on challenges and grow.”
Following the state competition, Fourier and Alexander also participated in the EforAll Rhode Island Pitch Contest on March 19, hosted at Roger Williams University, where they took home additional accolades. Alexander claimed the first-place $1,000 prize, while Fournier received $500 for her third-place finish, further cementing their emerging status as innovative business leaders. Fellow CEO Club members Ryan McLaughlin, a senior Marketing major from Abington, Mass., finished second ($750), and Jaden Daniels, a first-year Finance and Entrepreneurship double major from Shrewsbury, Mass., was the fan favorite ($500).
