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������Ƶ’s entrepreneurial spirit soared tonight as the university welcomed five leading business builders to campus for Entrepreneur Weekend 2015.

The panel included , founder of ; , co-founder and co-CEO of ; , president of ; serial entrepreneur and entertainer ; and co-founder and CEO — all interviewed by ������Ƶ trustee and CEO ��’15’17.

In conversation before a packed Cotterell Court audience, the entrepreneurs talked about the passions that drove them to succeed and some of the surprises they encountered along the way. They also offered wise words, gained through hard experience, for ������Ƶ students interested in going their own way after graduation.

Following the interview, Shark Tank’s own appeared via video to introduce a competition between four members of ������Ƶ’s . As on the popular television show, founders had mere minutes to pitch their ventures in hopes of earning investment dollars, with the five panelists each distributing $5,000 from TIA to the startups they liked best.

One by one, students took to the stage, introducing their businesses before taking questions from the panel. The experts asked for specifics on marketing strategies, potential rivals, revenue projections, current fiscal needs, and more.

“The summaries were excellent, the presentations clear,” commented Coleman, a veteran of countless pitches. “You guys were well trained.”

When the lights came up, , presented by Keshav Garg ’15, was the top choice. His company secured $10,000 to continue developing an algorithm that allows recording companies to identify hot new artists based on popular measures from across the Internet. Other TIA entrepreneurs included ’17, ’16, Caroline Danehy ’19, and ’17.

Addressing every one of ������Ƶ’s Shark Tank participants, Rosensweig summed up on behalf of the panel. “I would encourage you to think big,” he told them. “What you’ve heard from the people here is that they thought, ‘no obstacles,’ and they thought huge. That’s my advice to you.”