Virginia Tech’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship was on full display at the 2025 ACC InVenture Prize, where student startup MIND represented the university with a bold vision to transform online learning. Powered by the Apex Center for Entrepreneurs, Team MIND stood out for their creative approach to reimagining traditional education content-breaking down legacy content such as lectures and slide decks into engaging, digestible micro-lessons that make knowledge more accessible, interactive, and impactful.

The ACC InVenture Prize is a premier innovation competition where undergraduate teams from across ACC universities pitch their inventions or business ideas to a televised live audience and expert judges. Often referred to as the collegiate FBS playoffs for student startups, the "Shark Tank" style competition promotes innovation and celebrates student creativity across the conference. This year, the conference was hosted at the University of Notre Dame.

Virginia Tech’s team MIND included Rituraj Sharma, a computer science major; Noah Provenzano, a master’s student in computer science; Mikhail Sannikov, a robotics and mechatronics engineering major; and Cholé Iannuzzi, a marketing management major. Together, they bring a powerful blend of technical, creative, and strategic expertise to their venture, exemplifying the collaborative spirit the Apex Center aims to foster across disciplines. 

"The constant support and mentoring from the Apex center brought out the best in our product vision. Presenting our pitch on live TV was a paradigm shift for us; it completely reshaped our understanding of our business concept and its potential market." - Rituraj Sharma, Engineering ‘25.

"This experience taught me the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration and professional communication. Connecting with student entrepreneurs from other ACC schools was incredibly inspiring and I highly encourage others to take advantage of the APEX Center’s opportunities!" - Chloe Iannuzzi, PCOB Market ‘25.

The team was mentored by Donna Gibb, a Virginia Tech alumna and member of the Apex Center Advisory Board. Gibb, who founded ProTask Inc. in 2010 and led it through a successful acquisition in 2023, brought decades of entrepreneurial experience in executive leadership and strategic consulting to her advisory role. 

“Working with Team MIND for their preparation for the ACC Inventure Competition was a great example of how the Apex Center creates opportunities for Virginia Tech alumni to contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.” - Donna Gibb, Communication Studies/Public Relations ’92.

The Apex Center plays a central role at Virginia Tech in supporting student ventures like MIND. Through programs such as Venture Founders, the center provides students from across disciplines with access to non-dilutive funding, mentorship from alumni and faculty, and a network of Hokies passionate about creating positive change through entrepreneurship.  Administratively housed in the Pamplin College of Business, the Apex Center serves the broader student community at Virginia Tech with the mission to inspire and empower students to return their passion, purpose and ideas into action.

“Virginia Tech’s participation in the ACC InVenture Prize is more than a competition— it’s a chance for students to put their knowledge and aptitude to the test through real-world application. Team MIND’s success is a powerful reminder of what can happen when students across disciplines are able to come together to solve problems through the active practice of entrepreneurship.” - Sean Collins, Apex Center Director, PCOB ‘09.

 

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