With a 2025 theme of Fuel the Future, more than 300 college, high school and middle school students from across Southern California participated in the annual Titan Fast Pitch competition on Nov. 1, presented by the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship and held at Cal State Fullerton. Titans Julie Yun ’27 and Dhara Panchal ’28 took second place in the college track, with entrepreneurship senior Daphnay Pino ’26 coming in third. The first-place winner was Tyler Maher of UC Irvine.
The Life-Changing Impact of the Titan Fast Pitch
“The Titan Fast Pitch can be a life-changing event for those who participate in it. This may be the first and only time some of the students get up in front of a crowd to pitch their idea,” explains Scott Taylor, director of the Conrey Center. “Events like these connect the community by not only giving middle school, high school, and university students the opportunity to showcase their ideas, but also to connect with each other and business leaders throughout Orange County. These memorable events instill confidence in the students and infuse the entrepreneurial ecosystem with young energy and new ideas.”
Panchal, a computer science sophomore, noted that the competition pushed her out of her comfort zone, thus providing invaluable personal growth and necessary exposure to the business world. “Competing alongside business students challenged me to think beyond my technical background and reminded me that innovation has no boundaries,” she says.
Together with Yun, their concept, Novvhex, involved behavior-recognition security systems that detect loitering and other suspicious activity before theft and break-ins occur. “It was exciting to finally share the project we’ve been working on for over a year. What started as an idea for a social justice competition has grown into something that aims to make a real impact in our local neighborhood,” says Yun, a fellow computer science sophomore.
Third-place winner and highest-ranking Business Titan Pino recognized the transformative aspect of the fast pitch. Her concept, Blink Clean, was an eco-friendly refillable double-sided stain remover pen. “This experience challenged me in all the best ways. I learned how to pitch with confidence, think creatively under pressure, and trust my voice,” she says. “I’m incredibly grateful for the mentors, judges, and students who made Titan Pitch so meaningful.”
Each of the final 15 finalists had only 90 seconds to deliver their business concept to a panel of real-world professionals and academics asking as judges. The exercise provides invaluable experience in pitching developing, presenting and marketing business concepts. With more than $50,000 in scholarships and in-kind awards presented, the Fast Pitch also provides necessary funding for the academic futures of these young people.
More on CSUF Entrepreneurship
The Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship is the business startup hub of North Orange County, supporting undergraduate and graduate-level academic programs on business development and a startup incubator program for the Titan community and beyond. For more on the center and success stories, read our articles on CSUF entrepreneurship.
