MEng student places first at pitch competition
Cassie Davis won $5,000 for her team, which developed a new surgical lighting device, at Saint Louis University’s Pitch and Catch competition
Cassie Davis, a master’s of engineering in biomedical innovation student in the McKelvey School of Engineering, placed first at Saint Louis University’s annual Pitch and Catch competition. The entrepreneurial contest invites college students to pitch ideas to investors from the pitcher’s mound at Busch Stadium.
Davis won $5,000 for her team to support their product In-Lumino, a surgical lighting device to provide increased visibility for challenging operating conditions.
Davis shared her experience at the competition and advice for students looking to make their own pitch.
How did you get involved with the Pitch and Catch competition?
I participated in SLU’s Real Elevator Pitch Competition last semester, and directors of that event recommended the Pitch and Catch event to me. It caught my attention because I’m a huge baseball fan. I played softball most of my life, so it seemed like a fitting competition to enter.
How did you prepare for the event?
Competition preparation happened in two parts. There was the application process, which involved pitching our idea using a pitch deck template they provided and recording a video of the pitch. From there, the judges chose 10 finalists. This part of the process was good practice for the main event because I rehearsed my pitch several times over the course of recording the video.
Once I was notified of being selected, I updated the pitch deck with new information, such as the confirmation of our provisional patent, and then focused on rehearsing the speaking portion of the presentation. During the week leading up to the presentation, the MEng faculty took time out of class to let me rehearse. This was incredibly helpful. I feel so lucky to be in this program and for the faculty support I received.
