Stuart Student Will Pitch Startup at University Competition
Stuart School of Business student Ahsan Lodhika and his brother Ahmed Lodhika (AMAT '19), who graduated with a minor in entrepreneurship from Stuart, will pitch their tutoring company Saverr4Angels at the University Pitch Madness 2019 competition, hosted by Illinois Tech on July 30.
The pair of young entrepreneurs has been selected as one of four startup teams representing Illinois Tech in the competition that features student teams from seven universities vying for a total of $10,000 in prizes.
Stuart faculty member Nik Rokop is an organizer of the event, which will begin with an IPRO-style exhibition by all of the student teams and audience voting to determine which team from each university will make it to the finals. Entrepreneur Evan Wray, CEO and co-founder of Mavely, will be the evening’s keynote speaker, followed by the finalists delivering their pitches to a panel of judges and the awarding of prizes. Admission to the event is free for Illinois Tech students, faculty, and staff.
Ahmed started Saverr4Angels to bring his engaging style of tutoring STEM subjects to elementary, middle, and high school students from throughout the Chicago area. Ahsan is pursuing co-terminal degrees at Stuart—a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in finance—while handling the accounting and finances and developing strategies to expand the business.
In the first year of the business, Ahmed has tutored more than 60 students in subjects ranging from algebra, business, statistics and probability, and economics to calculus, chemistry, physics, and ACT/SAT preparation. His distinctive approach uses analogies and silly examples to explain difficult concepts, he says, because “analogies make the ideas more connected and concrete in the student’s brain, which means they will understand it more deeply.”
Looking ahead, Ahmed aims to utilize machine learning and virtual reality to develop simulations that will aid in gaining insights into students’ individual learning styles and interests.
- Admission to University Pitch Madness is free for students—Register at Eventbrite to attend.
- Illinois Tech faculty and staff should contact Nik Rokop for free registration.
University Pitch Madness 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Hermann Hall at Illinois Tech
4–6 p.m. – Reception, All Teams Pitch, audience voting for finalists
6:30–8 p.m. – Keynote Speaker Evan Wray (CEO and co-founder of Mavely) and Finalist Pitches
Participating universities: Illinois Tech, DePaul University, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, and Purdue University
