Grace Lee, Special to The Denisonian–
ReMix, Denison’s student entrepreneurship and alumni gathering, kicked off on Sept. 10 with the Student Pitch Showcase in Burke Recital Hall at the Eisner Center.
Eight student teams took the stage to present their business ideas, while alumni asked questions, offered advice, and interacted with students during dinner after the pitch contest. This showcase marked the first event of the three-day ReMix, creating a space for students and alumni to network and exchange business ideas.
The students’ ideas ranged from on-campus cafés and a children’s book to various digital platforms. FlowSpace drew alumni attention with its proposal to use AI tools to organize digital workspaces and enhance user focus. Another team, TruCha, highlighted its ongoing boba café project, sparking interest in expanding it to other universities.
For alumni, the showcase held significance beyond student presentations. Adam Morris ’05, a current technology consultant, noted that the students’ passion and careful preparation were particularly impressive, and he found it interesting that the ideas were at various stages of development. He offered two pieces of advice to the student entrepreneurs.
“First, clearly demonstrate the value you provide to customers. For example, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPod, he didn’t list its specifications but described it as ‘a thousand songs in your pocket,’ emphasizing the benefit to the user. Second, don’t focus solely on profit—uphold ethical standards. The world is full of uncertainty, but that makes it all the more important to maintain a responsibility to improve your community and the world.”
This year’s ReMix event was organized through a collaboration between Red Frame Lab and the Alumni & Family Engagement office. About 100 alumni registered this year, and both the event’s size and participation have been growing annually.
Meanwhile, a $250 Prototyping Grant for the teams presented that day will be awarded based on on-site voting, with the winning team to be announced later. The ReMix schedule continued smoothly through the main session Sept. 11 and closing session Sept. 12. ReMix has become more than just a pitch competition; it has established itself as a space for entrepreneurship and innovation co-created by students and alumni.
The event highlighted how creativity and a spirit of challenge thrive within the Denison community, while also showcasing the strong, supportive relationships between students and alumni across generations.
