UR student entrepreneurs pitch business ideas

Ever heard of something called a Sniff Stick?

What about Hoongle, or Swaboo, or Social Addiction?

Keep your eyes, ears and nose peeled for those names, because some local college students hope to turn them into the next big things in business.

The budding brands were the four finalists in the University of Richmond's second annual "business pitch" competition on Friday. The event gave students a chance to propose their entrepreneurial concepts and win cash prizes to help finance their ventures.

The top prize of $2,000 went to the Sniff Stick, the brainchild of Dan Brunt and Christopher Genualdi.

The two seniors impressed the competition's four judges -- all local businesspeople -- with their proposal to sell pocket-size plastic tubes that release a refreshing menthol aroma when opened.

"We call it a breath mint for your nose," Brunt said.

He and Genualdi picked up the idea from Thailand, where similar products are popular. They are developing a prototype to sell as a nonmedicinal item at U.S. stores. "We think it is a market opportunity that has been neglected," Genualdi said.

Second place and $500 went to Hoongle.com, a Web search site created by Salmaan Ayaz and David Whitehead.

Hoongle's marketing tool is its social mission. For every search conducted through the site, Hoongle donates 20 grains of rice to the U.N. World Food Programme to help feed malnourished children. The site already is operating in a beta version under a partnership with Google.

"We have generated a lot of buzz already on the Internet," Ayaz said.

Other finalists included Social-Addiction.com, a Web-based events marketing and promotion service being developed by senior Tripp Person; and Swaboo.com, an online college textbook exchange that students Vladimir Hruda and Remo Kommick hope to launch at colleges around the country.

This year's business pitch competition drew 26 entries, up from 15 last year.

The goal is to give students "a medium to voice their ideas and have their ideas judged by professionals," said Connor Close, president of the Robins School of Business student government and an executive committee member of the school's entrepreneur club, which raised the money for prizes.

Contact John Reid Blackwell at