At a glance
“This year's ideas were not only creatively executed, but also deeply rooted in community impact and environmental awareness. The level of thoughtfulness and heart displayed by each team was inspiring. The future looks bright with these changemakers leading the way."
Ashleigh Madison
Decayse, developed by four Alfred University students, took home top honors at the fifth annual AHA! Allegany County Startup Collegiate Competition hosted at Alfred State.
Photos from the 2025 AHA Competition
Decayse, pitched by students Matthew Bittel, Ryan Haggerty, Mike Pinney, and Artem Kolisnychenko, produces eco-friendly phone cases. Jason Morrison, Assistant Professor of Finance, was the group’s academic mentor while Jack McGowan, Project Manager at Insyte Consulting, served as the industry mentor. The quartet took home the competition’s $5,000 prize.
Saxon Shield featuring Alfred University students Jessica Matson, Peyton McInnis, Paige Stansfield, Zoe Zimmerman, and Carlos Gonzalez earned second place and the $2,500 prize. The group pitched their eco-friendly product that can be used to get rid of unwanted odors in locker rooms, gym bags, and shoes. Jean Ellefson, Assistant Professor of Analytics, was the academic mentor, and Bob Forness, President and Executive Director of the Olean Business Development Corporation, was their industry mentor.
Alfred State’s Josh Heafey (Hornell, NY) and Jazz Jarbeck (Hornell, NY) finished third with their business pitch for J&J’s Indoor Putt Putt Golf. They shared the need for more recreational entertainment options for residents of Hornell. With the third place finish the team won $1,000. The duo was mentored by Jarrad Childs, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Mark Bloxsom, Senior Financial Planner John G. Ullman & Associates, Inc.
Houghton University’s, Thrive Together, won the Viewers Choice Award. The team of Crysta LaCrosse, Marth Waindim, and Yaoxing Qian were mentored by Elissa Tyrell, Adjunct Professor of Business Administration, and John Carmen, Owner of Bright Web Consulting, LLC.
OmniReq (Preston Thomas, Shiloh Jobst, and Job Theobald) from Houghton and Allegany Adornment, (Idalia Paula, Sekoiu Camara, Phillip Peterson, and Kayce Crawford) from Alfred University also competed.
Casey Joyce, former President of Minnesota Services and energy and construction professional, Jeff Staiger, Director of Business and Community Development at the ACCORD Corporation, and Ethan Ruot, Senior Business Development Officer/AVP at Pursuit Lending served as judges. The trio evaluated pitches made by six teams.
Ashleigh Madison, the Executive Director of IncubatorWorks stated. “This year's ideas were not only creatively executed, but also deeply rooted in community impact and environmental awareness. The level of thoughtfulness and heart displayed by each team was inspiring. Whether their next steps take them down the path of entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship, their creativity and commitment will undoubtedly serve them well. The future looks bright with these changemakers leading the way."
This competition is made possible through grant funding, partnerships, and sponsors from: Alfred University, Alfred State College, Allegany County, the ACCORD Corp., the Western New York Incubator Network, Western NY Wilds, The Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) at Alfred University, and Sealing Devices Inc.
About IncubatorWorks:
IncubatorWorks provides programming and services to Ceramics and Glass Science startups as well as Main Street Businesses. IW plays a vital part in fostering growth of entrepreneurial enterprises and small businesses in the surrounding areas with a focus on Allegany County, Chemung County, Steuben County, and Schuyler County.