ClearPath Wins First Place & $10,000 at Marist’s 12th IDEA Pitch Night
On Wednesday, May 12, 2026, Marist’s IDEA class hosted it’s 12th Pitch Night. IDEA is an honors level elective for juniors and seniors that guides teams over a school year to transform their innovative ideas into practical business proposals.
Coming in third place with their company PicklPal and winning $2,500 toward their company were team members Thomas Hollowell ’26, Thomas O’Brien ’26, Jonathan Grajeda ’26, Sean Murphy ’26 and Francesco Levato ’26. PicklPal is a pickleball network app with skill-based matchmaking, match tracking, an AI coach named Dink and built-in tournament tools. Targets the 48M Americans playing pickleball who currently have no infrastructure to find competitive games or measure progress.
Coming in second place with their company Haven and winning $5,000 toward their company were team members Hailee Burden ’26, Juliana Gregory ’27, Tess Celauro ’27 and Liana Page ’26. Haven is a discreet smart safety bracelet that looks like jewelry. A subtle press of a hidden button sends an instant SOS alert with live location to trusted contacts and emergency services. Designed for young women who want personal safety without sacrificing style.
Taking home first place with their company ClearPath and winning $10,000 toward their company were team members Donovan Alberts ’26, Blake Balsinger ’26, Joe Blas ’26 & Ayden Ginn ’26. ClearPath is a transparent windshield film that reduces headlight glare for safer night driving. Applied once, works passively, no behavior change required from the driver. Targets the 100M+ Americans affected by intense LED headlight glare.
Congratulations to the team of four Marist seniors and ClearPath! Special thank you the three judges who served as the panel at Pitch Night:
- Jim Henneberry – Retired executive, Former Marist IDEA class teacher
- Jane Curran – Global Head of Talent Acquisition and HR Services, JLL
- Kevin O’Finn ‘17 – Entrepreneur, Marist IDEA class winner, 2017
In the year long IDEA (Innovative Design for Entrepreneurial Applications) course, students have the opportunity to create and fully develop their own product or service. Student teams
work through the process of ideation, market research, and business plan development. They learn about marketing, accounting, human resources, as well as the legal aspects of running a business. This is hands-on course designed to allow students to imagine, design, construct, market, and refine their own business ventures.
