Lawrence University junior Faith Onukaogu’s plan to launch Anima Unita (AU), a multi-purpose clothing brand, got an investment of $10,000 courtesy of The Pitch, a regional business startup competition among college students in northeast Wisconsin.
Onukaogu took first place in the April 28 business pitch competition that included pitches from 10 finalists—two each from Lawrence, St. Norbert College, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Green Bay. Held in The Fox Club at Fox Cities Stadium, the Shark Tank-style pitch competition awarded more than $40,000 in prizes and in-kind services, including $10,000 for first place, $7,500 for second, and $5,000 for third.
This marks the third time in the nine-year history of The Pitch that a Lawrence student has taken the top spot and the seventh time one or more have finished in the money.
Faith Onukaogu makes her winning pitch before the judges at The Pitch.
Onukaogu, a business and entrepreneurship and global studies double major from Jamaica, New York, pitched the idea of a stylish winter coat that can be quickly transformed into multiple uses—travel pillow, vest, blanket, and tote bag.
“I initially got the idea in middle school,” she said. “My dad really likes fashion, and I think I just grew up in fashion. But it’s also about being eco-conscious and budget conscious. I wanted to come up with something where you can get more for less while being stylish.”
It has been Onukaogu’s Lawrence experience that took that nugget of an idea she first had as a young teen and turned it into a business possibility. She jumped with enthusiasm into Lawrence’s business and entrepreneurship major after it was launched in the 2023-24 academic year.
She initially worked with two faculty members, Irene Strohbeen ’78, entrepreneur-in-residence, and Michael Clayville, in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) 100: In Pursuit of Innovation course to develop the Anima Unita brand idea. Then in the I&E 300: Entrepreneurial Ventures course with Karen Bussone, professor of practice in entrepreneurship, she crafted a business plan.
She presented her first pitch at the end of the I&E 100 course, then developed it further in I&E 300. In the process, she grew more confident, delivering a winning pitch in the LaunchLU contest earlier in April and then to five judges at Monday’s The Pitch.
Combine the benefits of a liberal arts education with those of a business major as we prepare future leaders.
Onukaogu plans to use the prize money to offset costs as she works to bring her business plan to fruition. She hopes to launch the business online while a student, with revenue helping to pay for graduate school.
“I’m planning to go to nursing school,” Onukaogu said. “This would be a side hustle.”
A student-athlete on Lawrence’s track team, she said her interests in both health care and business have grown during her time on campus. That makes the Anima Unita pursuit a great fit alongside her nursing ambitions.
“Those passions were mostly cultivated during my time at Lawrence,” Onukaogu said. “It’s a liberal arts college, so I get to experience so many different things, and that’s how I was able to develop the passions for both health care and business.”
Faith Onukaogu (center) poses for a photo at The Pitch with Sheldon Watson and Emma Perry, who also pitched a startup idea.
Joining Onukaogu at The Pitch on Monday were Emma Perry, a junior business and entrepreneurship major from Beverly, Massachusetts, and Sheldon Watson, a junior business and entrepreneurship major from Snellville, Georgia. They emerged from LaunchLU as finalists, pitching Community and Beyond, an app designed to be used by high schools, high school students, and nonprofits in the tracking of volunteer hours.
“Both teams represented Lawrence University so well, as LU students do,” Strohbeen said.
She applauded them for seeking mentoring support from Lawrence faculty and representatives from gener8tor, a business startup accelerator that has partnered with Lawrence’s B&E program.
“In the short two weeks between LaunchLU and The Pitch, they showed the focus and dedication to winning that typifies not just Lawrence but also Lawrence Athletics—all three of our entrepreneurs are also athletes,” Strohbeen said. “Congratulations to both of our entrepreneur teams.”
Bussone called I&E 100 and I&E 300 a "great foundation" for Lawrence students to develop their concept and business model, and then thrive in pitch contests.
“I’m humbled to have the opportunity to teach, mentor, and provide students opportunities to pursue their passion,” she said.
Ed Berthiaume
Ed Berthiaume is director of public information at Lawrence University.
