Ohio State Students Advance Bold Ideas at BOSS Finale

The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship highlighted the growing strength of Ohio State’s student innovation ecosystem as finalists competed in the Best of Student Startups (BOSS) finale. The program, part of the university’s broader entrepreneurial pipeline, guides students through the creation of a new venture, with a focus on customer discovery, supported by committed mentors. This year’s finalists reflected a combination of technical skills, creativity, and strong market awareness. 

The grand prize went to PathoTrace, a contamination‑detection venture developing a test strip and mobile application designed to identify mold, bacteria and viruses. The team advanced from SpaceBOSS and used the fall semester to refine their concept and validate their market opportunity. Founder Hannah Myers said months of focused work prepared the team for the moment. 

“We really focused on customer discovery and put in a lot of work over the last couple months,” Myers said. “Winning the $20,000 grand prize shows that effort paid off, and now we’re ready to keep building.” 

The team is moving forward with additional prototyping and will continue developing their business model through Boost Camp and the President’s Buckeye Accelerator. 

Side Coach Sports earned second place and $10,000 for its platform that connects college athletes with youth athletes for one‑on‑one coaching and camps. Founder Luke Carrell, an Ohio State baseball player, developed the idea after families began requesting private lessons, and he recognized a scalable opportunity. 

“Some parents approached me like, ‘Can you do one‑on‑one lessons with my kid?’ I started running camps and saw a huge market opportunity,” Carrell said. 

The venture is expanding its technology suite, including new camp‑management software designed to support both athletes and families. “We have a mobile app and a website, but we’ve developed new technology for camp management. We have an MVP, and we want to launch it to the market,” he said. 

All remaining finalists received $5,000 in support to continue developing their ideas, reflecting the Keenan Center’s commitment to creating multiple pathways for student entrepreneurs across the university. 

“Our students continue to show what is possible when they apply their academic experience, creativity, and problem‑solving skills to real‑world challenges,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “We are proud to support their progress as they build ideas that can create meaningful impact.”