Holloway Competition Seeds Entrepreneurs and Innovators

hroughout the past 33 years more than 100 Paul J. Holloway Prize Competition finalists have launched nearly 120 businesses. Thirty of those businesses started as competition pitches, and almost 60% have been based in New Hampshire. To this day, 30% of former participants are currently the owner or founder of a company.

“Holloway pointed me in the right direction, and really launched my ability to start my own business,” Laura Gilman ‘02 said about the competition she won her graduating year. “But even if you aren’t interested in being your own boss and stepping out on your own, the things you learn through being a part of Holloway — writing a budget, making a business plan, proposing a bank for a loan, or simply standing in front of a group of people you don’t know and professing your passions – is invaluable to any part of your life as a functioning adult in society.”

After multiple stages of competition throughout the spring semester, teams are whittled down to six competitors who present their ideas to a panel of industry professionals for a chance to win up to $17,000 in seed money.

Business pitches have ranged from cold brew coffee, to medical tech to treat brain tumors, educational phone apps, athletic clubs, and even dog toys. Holloway helps UNH students learn valuable business skills and apply them in pursuit of their passions.

As the head of her own talent management company in Manchester, N.H., Gilman represents more than 35 artists across the globe and takes “hundreds of phone calls trying to convince strangers to spend thousands of dollars on the premise that what I deliver is going to be wonderful.” She’s thankful to UNH and Holloway for teaching her how to pitch herself and pursue the life she always wanted.

Sam Warach ‘17 feels similarly, describing Holloway as a “great place to get your feet wet.”

“It provided structure and incentive for me to learn important skills and make things happen under tight deadlines,” said Warach, who currently heads NextStep HealthTech, a mission-driven health technology company dedicated to the improvement of public health. His company recently partnered with the NH Department of Education to ensure their new app, GoodLife, is available to secondary students statewide. NextStep was originally a Holloway competition pitch, although Warach beat himself that year with a separate entry for a social messaging app called Droppit.

“I highly recommend Holloway for any student pursuing entrepreneurship,” Warach said. “It’s okay to put something out there even if you don’t think it’s perfect. You’re only going to learn and you never know–it could turn into something more than you ever thought it could be.”

While the recent COVID pandemic added unforeseen challenges, it also inspired some necessary changes to formatting that may persist, including video pitches, web-assisted people’s choice voting, and live broadcasting of the final round to reach a wider audience. Bob Dakin ‘77, founder and principal of BD Consulting, has been a Holloway Prize Competition judge many times over. He believes this cross-pollination within the university system adds vigor to the competition, and highlights the strength and skills of young entrepreneurs across New Hampshire.

“It’s truly a two-way street, judging Holloway,” Dakin said. “I learn a tremendous amount from the students and their business concepts. This competition really gives back to New Hampshire by inspiring and funding these innovative ideas–entrepreneurial and small businesses are critical components to fueling and rejuvenating the local economy.”

“Holloway launched my ability to launch my own business,” Gilman said. “These days I’m a well-prepared, experienced, trustworthy person who’s done my research. A lot of that stems from my career at UNH.”