Ohio State’s Best of Student Startups (BOSS) Finale Awards $50,000 to Budding Entrepreneurs

The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at The Ohio State University recently hosted the Best of Student Startups (BOSS) Finale, awarding $50,000 in funding to student-led ventures. This year’s event drew more than 80 applicants, showcasing the program's rapid growth and the entrepreneurial talent at Ohio State.

The top prize of $20,000 was awarded to Phoenix Battery Company, led by Jonah Mikesell, a fourth-year electrical engineering student in the College of Engineering. His venture repurposes decommissioned electric vehicle batteries into portable chargers, power stations, and residential energy storage solutions.

“We take decommissioned electric vehicle batteries and, rather than them getting recycled immediately or going into landfills, we use those batteries for portable chargers, power stations, and residential energy storage,” Mikesell explained. “This idea started during my freshman year when I repurposed a broken electric skateboard battery into a power bank using an Altoids tin. I sold it on Facebook within 30 minutes and kept growing from there.”

BOSS focuses on supporting the transformation of ideas into sustainable businesses, particularly emphasizing the customer discovery phase. In interactive workshops, participants define customer segments, articulate a value proposition, and conduct customer discovery interviews. BOSS is open to all Ohio State students and attracts participants with varying levels of entrepreneurial experience or education.

“Most of the funding will go towards completing product compliance tests and finalizing our power stations,” Mikesell said. “We’re developing custom inverters, battery management systems, and a cohesive technological system for our products. This support is pivotal in helping us bring our solutions to market.”

The $10,000 prize went to Side Coach Sports, a platform created by Luke Carrell from the College of Business to enhance sports performance and coaching.

Four teams each received $5,000, showcasing innovation across a range of disciplines:

• FUNDamentals: A financial literacy initiative co-founded by Blaise Rogers and Bria Isaacson (Fisher College of Business), Adam Sabet and Caden Conde (College of Arts and Sciences), and Pranav Rajesh (Fisher College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences).
• Kid Kaddy: A family-friendly travel organization solution founded by Sophia Russell from the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Kino: A venture focused on mobile biometric tracking developed by Toby Reynolds from the College of Business.
• OmniDoc: A healthcare platform led by Vihaan Vulpala, Surya Suresh, Eashan Vytla, and Amogh Kuppa, all from the College of Engineering.

Funding for the prizes was provided through the Joan & Chester Luby Microgrant Prize Program, underscoring Ohio State’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurial success.

“The growth of the BOSS program is truly inspiring,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director for the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “We are thrilled to see over 80 teams participate this year, reflecting the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem at Ohio State. These student entrepreneurs exemplify creativity and resilience, and we are proud to support their journeys.”