Beach Volleyball’s Addie Bounds Business Idea Wins $1,000 Contest
2/3/2025 7:03:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - With over 21 teams pitching ideas for Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Clubs, Start Launch Weekend event, it was Beach Volleyball's own Addie Bounds who captured the first place $1,000 investment for her drug detecting jewelry brand, Aurela.
Organized by the Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Club, Start Launch Weekend gave young entrepreneurs the opportunity to give a 10 minute pitch of their product in front of a live panel at Spanos theatre. The panel featured two current entrepreneurship professors and the chief product officer for Codes.org, imitating the intensity felt on ABC's hit show, Shark Tank.
When asked about her why for creating Aurela Bounds stated, "I've never had my drink spiked, but a lot of friends who've had horror stories and it's terrible that it's even something we have to worry about."
With that motivation, Bounds and her 10 person team spent upwards of 14 hours prior to the pitch working on the slides, pitch deck, and customer development at Cal Poly's Center for Entrepreneurship and innovation HotHouse.
"it's just great to have like such a loving support behind you," Bounds reflected. "And I know that all of them are also super passionate about the topic."
Giving the bulk credit to her 10 person team, Bounds plans on staying at Cal Poly to earn her MBA, hoping to bring Aurelas award winning pitch to market.
Bounds efforts truly encapsulates Cal Poly's 'Learn By Doing' philosophy as she balances being a student-athlete at Cal Poly.
"Cal Poly is an amazing place to do this because the resources here are just phenomenal," Bounds added. "I'm just very blessed and I'm really excited to see what happens."
