WSSU students pitch businesses, win $15,000 to grow startups at RamPitch competition
Freshman wins with custom jewelry company
Winston-Salem State University students recently pitched businesses – including a custom jewelry company specializing in dental covers, commonly known as grillz, a digital marketing firm and a business development and coaching agency, in hopes of winning cash prizes to grow their enterprises.
The eight students who competed in RamPitch April 7 took part in Scholarship Week, WSSU’s annual showcase of student research, creative work and academic achievements.
Miles Walker-Gilliam, a freshman business administration major from Charlotte, captured first place and $5,000. He started his business, MilesOnPluto Grillz, a custom jewelry brand focused on creating unique, high-quality grillz and custom pieces, in 2022 when he was still in high school.
“I was always fascinated by jewelry at a young age because of seeing athletes and rappers with it,” he said. “I decided at age 14 I wanted to start working on jewelry, so I saved up about $500 from my job at Publix and purchased my first grillz starter kit. I also looked at YouTube to learn about starting a small business.”
Walker-Gilliam said because of his faith and desire to excel, he was confident he would do well in the competition, though he almost missed out on the chance.
“I wasn’t aware the pitch was on April 7 and thought it was three days later,” Walker-Giliam explained. “When I woke up on the 7th, something told me to check my email, and that’s when I saw a flyer about it.”
He called his maternal grandmother, Adrienne Gilliam, who drove from Charlotte to support him and exclaimed, “that’s my grandson,” as he was announced the winner.
Walker-Gilliam plans to use his prize money to purchase materials and reinvest in his company.
RamPitch was organized by Dr. Notis Pagiavlas, founding director of WSSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation, with assistance from Dr. Michelle Leverett, Dr. Shih Yung Chou, Dr. Suresh Gopalan and Dr. Kyle Luth.
This year’s judges were Carol Davis, executive director of S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation; David Morris, a partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP.; Tiffany Richmond, a WSSU alumna and CEO of A Four Eyed Company, LLC; and Nike Roach, a WSSU alumnus and partner at Solutions Afoot, a global technology company based in Winston-Salem.
All four said they were impressed with the students, who discussed everything from revenue shares to marketing to future growth.
“To see the evolution of the presentations, the quality of ventures and the stage they’re in is fantastic,” said Morris, who has served as a judge since RamPitch’s inception. “We’ve got students here who are making significant money as juniors and sophomores … which is a testament to the program Dr. Notis has put together. I look forward to seeing where their startups and their ventures go.”
Students worked on their pitches for about two months and were given six minutes to present and 10 minutes to answer judges’ questions.
Alaina Moody, Taneshia Allen and Keyana Vintson also ranked in the competition. Moody, who’s majoring in mass communications with a concentration in digital media, placed first runner-up and was awarded $4,000. Her business, Moonfish Entertainment, is a media production company dedicated to storytelling across film, television and digital platforms. Moody also won $1,000 for demonstrating the best use of Adobe tools in her presentation.
Allen, an MBA student, finished second runner-up and was awarded $3,000. Her business, Forever My Three Publishing, is centered on emotional wellness for children and their families and was started after the death of her three children’s father.
Vintson, a freshman business administration major from Fayetteville, was third runner-up and was awarded $2,000. Her business is KeyzKreationz, which sells lip gloss and lip balm.
Other RamPitch contestants were Guy Dorsinville, Edward Garland, Kendra Powell and Amiliana Simmons.
Pagiavlas said all eight demonstrated entrepreneurial mindsets and resiliency during the competition, which complements their education with high-impact experiential practices.
“It took months of comprehensive preparation and mentoring to flesh out the most critical elements and risks associated with most new ventures,” Pagiavlas said. “With the financial support of Adobe and a village of caring supporters, our students had an opportunity to share their thoughts for significant awards and cash prizes. It was another successful RamPitch.”
