Startups Shine at Sawmill Society Weekend 2026
Thursday, May 07, 2026
The annual Sawmill Society Weekend — part of the Alumni Awards celebration — sparked entrepreneurial spirit with students and alumni through student pitches and the presentation of the Tom Mason Innovation Award.
The entrepreneurial spirit of Rose-Hulman students and alumni sparked conversations and inspirations during the Sawmill Society weekend April 24-26, as part of the annual Alumni Awards. Startup founders found mentorship and connection throughout the event, providing alumni with opportunities to fan the entrepreneurial flame while giving student startups a step up in blazing their paths.
Sawmill Society connects innovative alumni from the Rose Angels, a group of alumni who look to invest in Rose-Hulman connected start ups with students founding startups, providing them with various forms of funding to help them launch their ventures. Pitch competitions for this support were some of the highlights of the weekend's events.
Throughout the weekend, in a format similar to the hit TV series "Shark Tank," students presented their startups and the problems they resolve, but in this tank, the "sharks" did not bite. Instead, alumni offered helpful feedback and constructive criticism, grounded in their own experiences and thoughtful reflection.
On Saturday, student startups pitched for a Sawmill Society ventureship, which provides support for students to spend the summer advancing their startup. Offered as full- or part-time opportunities, ventureships are designed as an alternative to a traditional internship experience, lowering the barrier to entry to entrepreneurship for students.
Student pitches included:
• CineScope - Umesh Sarma
• Gridlock - Josh Muellenbach and Bryce McGrath
• CRWN - Uche Osuji
• TMW Dynamics - Timothy Wong
Other student startups pitched to the Rose Angel Network on Sunday for investments ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. Rose Angels is a group of independent investors that fund seed and pre-seed startups within the Rose-Hulman community.
These pitches included:
• Ply Labs E-Moto - Adam Jirovec and Davis Rubel
• Alpha Trading Laboratories - Alexander Bradshaw
• Unlayered - Philip Pounds and Alex Stedman
• ElectroWinds Midi Flute - Allyson Kogler
After the pitches, student founders hosted a tabletop discussion with their products, allowing alumni and guests to gain a more in-depth understanding through the informally structured session.
The weekend's events also included a discussion panel with alumni entrepreneurs, forums for founders to discuss their experiences, and updates from entrepreneurial student organizations, including the Rose Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE). During these updates, students Deven Wells and Joseph Kim, the outgoing and incoming presidents of RISE, announced a new student Entrepreneurship Lounge, a space and equipment in Blumberg Hall for student founders to develop their ventures.
Also during Sawmill Society weekend, 1993 mechanical engineering alumnus Joe Ritz was awarded the Tom Mason Innovation Award for his development of several startups in the medical device sector. Ritz, the founder and President of Blaze Biotech, shared his entrepreneurial insights in a panel session moderated by Koushik Subramanian, Rose-Hulman trustee and 2006 computer engineering alumnus.
Ritz noted that starting a business was a life-altering decision, likening the choice to having a child.
"Once it's here, you can't put it back," he joked. "You have to nurture it through all the tantrums. It is not a lightweight decision, just like raising kids."
Ritz noted the responsibility a founder feels when taking on investors.
"When you take that first dollar, the burden is on you," he said. "Every dollar matters. If you treat it that way as you make decisions, you'll take care of their money like it's your own."
As a student, his path had been redirected by the late Rose-Hulman president Samuel Hulbert, who had introduced Ritz to the world of biomaterials. Now, as a leader himself, Ritz enjoys helping his interns gain the confidence to spread their wings and gain the confidence to make an impact.
Passing the passion for entrepreneurship and innovation to the next generation has been embedded into Rose-Hulman history since its inception. Chauncey Rose, who later founded the college and bestowed it both his name and his fiduciary support, started his first venture, a sawmill, before realizing the need for a technical school in Terre Haute, Indiana. Today, more than 150 Rose-Hulman students are actively engaged with entrepreneurship events, and students and alumni have founded successful startups across industries, including Kalogon, OroMuscles, Zernike Precision Optics, and Tsenta. As part of the Advancing By Design strategic plan, Rose-Hulman aims to foster entrepreneurial activities and instill a mindset of innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship. Visit rhit.edu/entrepreneurship for more information about opportunities for student entrepreneurs.
Sawmill Society connects innovative alumni from the Rose Angels, a group of alumni who look to invest in Rose-Hulman connected start ups with students founding startups, providing them with various forms of funding to help them launch their ventures. Pitch competitions for this support were some of the highlights of the weekend's events.
Throughout the weekend, in a format similar to the hit TV series "Shark Tank," students presented their startups and the problems they resolve, but in this tank, the "sharks" did not bite. Instead, alumni offered helpful feedback and constructive criticism, grounded in their own experiences and thoughtful reflection.
On Saturday, student startups pitched for a Sawmill Society ventureship, which provides support for students to spend the summer advancing their startup. Offered as full- or part-time opportunities, ventureships are designed as an alternative to a traditional internship experience, lowering the barrier to entry to entrepreneurship for students.
Student pitches included:
• CineScope - Umesh Sarma
• Gridlock - Josh Muellenbach and Bryce McGrath
• CRWN - Uche Osuji
• TMW Dynamics - Timothy Wong
Other student startups pitched to the Rose Angel Network on Sunday for investments ranging from $25,000 to $100,000. Rose Angels is a group of independent investors that fund seed and pre-seed startups within the Rose-Hulman community.
These pitches included:
• Ply Labs E-Moto - Adam Jirovec and Davis Rubel
• Alpha Trading Laboratories - Alexander Bradshaw
• Unlayered - Philip Pounds and Alex Stedman
• ElectroWinds Midi Flute - Allyson Kogler
After the pitches, student founders hosted a tabletop discussion with their products, allowing alumni and guests to gain a more in-depth understanding through the informally structured session.
The weekend's events also included a discussion panel with alumni entrepreneurs, forums for founders to discuss their experiences, and updates from entrepreneurial student organizations, including the Rose Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE). During these updates, students Deven Wells and Joseph Kim, the outgoing and incoming presidents of RISE, announced a new student Entrepreneurship Lounge, a space and equipment in Blumberg Hall for student founders to develop their ventures.
Also during Sawmill Society weekend, 1993 mechanical engineering alumnus Joe Ritz was awarded the Tom Mason Innovation Award for his development of several startups in the medical device sector. Ritz, the founder and President of Blaze Biotech, shared his entrepreneurial insights in a panel session moderated by Koushik Subramanian, Rose-Hulman trustee and 2006 computer engineering alumnus.
Ritz noted that starting a business was a life-altering decision, likening the choice to having a child.
"Once it's here, you can't put it back," he joked. "You have to nurture it through all the tantrums. It is not a lightweight decision, just like raising kids."
Ritz noted the responsibility a founder feels when taking on investors.
"When you take that first dollar, the burden is on you," he said. "Every dollar matters. If you treat it that way as you make decisions, you'll take care of their money like it's your own."
As a student, his path had been redirected by the late Rose-Hulman president Samuel Hulbert, who had introduced Ritz to the world of biomaterials. Now, as a leader himself, Ritz enjoys helping his interns gain the confidence to spread their wings and gain the confidence to make an impact.
Passing the passion for entrepreneurship and innovation to the next generation has been embedded into Rose-Hulman history since its inception. Chauncey Rose, who later founded the college and bestowed it both his name and his fiduciary support, started his first venture, a sawmill, before realizing the need for a technical school in Terre Haute, Indiana. Today, more than 150 Rose-Hulman students are actively engaged with entrepreneurship events, and students and alumni have founded successful startups across industries, including Kalogon, OroMuscles, Zernike Precision Optics, and Tsenta. As part of the Advancing By Design strategic plan, Rose-Hulman aims to foster entrepreneurial activities and instill a mindset of innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship. Visit rhit.edu/entrepreneurship for more information about opportunities for student entrepreneurs.