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When the 2025 Stella Zhang New Venture Competition (SZNVC) culminated on May 22 with its Grand Finale, one student-led team stood above the rest: Grad2Go, a startup solving a familiar problem faced by students during move-out season—what to do with unwanted furniture. Their practical, sustainable business concept took home the $20,000 Grand Prize, capping off one of UC Irvine’s most dynamic and diverse entrepreneurial competitions to date.

The Power Behind the Pitch: Grad2Go’s Winning Story

For team leader Yifan “May” Mei, the concept behind Grad2Go wasn’t theoretical—it was personal. “It was such a headache,” Mei recalled of their own graduation experience. “I had to deal with penalties, wasted furniture, and zero support.” That frustration turned into fuel for a business plan with real-world impact.

Grad2Go’s model is simple but powerful: collect, store, and resell gently used student furniture between academic years. It saves students money, prevents waste, and smooths the chaos of campus move-outs and move-ins.

The six-member team—May, Chengxi Li, Xinyu Zhang, Yuhan Yue, Yilin Shen, and Hannah—brought together expertise in software development, business strategy, statistics, and data science. With Hannah leading the final pitch, the team transformed logistical complexity into an emotionally compelling story. “We had all the data and calculations,” Hannah said, “but we needed to make it matter in just 10 minutes.”

Unlike many competition entrants, Grad2Go had already proven their concept with pilot runs at UC Irvine and Ohio State University. With 30+ early orders and operational momentum, they’re now preparing to expand to other campuses—including Columbia and Yale—by 2026. “We’re not trying to be a massive logistics company,” May said. “We’re students solving a student problem in a sustainable, scalable way.”

More Than a Competition—A Launchpad for Entrepreneurs

Now in its 21st year, the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition—named for philanthropist Stella Zhang—has become a signature event at UC Irvine. This year’s edition was the largest yet, with record-breaking attendance and broad participation across the campus community, including students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

“The SZNVC is more than a pitch competition,” said Ken Neeld, Chair of the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “It’s a launchpad for aspiring entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into impactful ventures.”

The competition is housed within the Beall Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Paul Merage School of Business, and it’s supported by the Beall Family Foundation. Funding and mentorship came from a robust network of sponsors including Experian, Finance Agents, Ingram Micro, Withum, and many individual donors such as David Ochi, Jenn Huynh, Dr. Emanuel Shaoulian, and Stella Zhang herself.

Mentorship, Memories, and Momentum

The spirit of SZNVC goes beyond business plans and prize money. For many students, the competition became the defining experience of their academic career.

“I had the pleasure of working with three incredible teammates who happened to be good friends,” one MBA student reflected. “We all showed what a collection of creative minds equally supporting each other can accomplish.”

Another competitor summed it up this way: “If someone were to ask me today why I pursued an MBA, I would say for the opportunity to compete in an event like this.”

As Grad2Go prepares to scale nationally, their journey embodies what the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition is all about—practical innovation, grounded in empathy, driven by teamwork, and ready to change the world, one student solution at a time.

A Showcase of Innovation: Meet the Finalists

This year’s competition featured 53 semifinalist teams, with 10 advancing to the finale. These startups represented a range of industries—from biotech to AI, from consumer goods to social impact:

• TransMobile VR: VR training simulations for waste management worker safety.
• ServEasy: Reverse bidding platform for home service providers.
• NasoCoustics: Portable device to improve speech therapy for children with cleft conditions.
• Oslo: Passive thermal imaging system to monitor elderly patients’ vital signs.
• GlowGuard: Smart dental retainer case with Bluetooth and UV-C sanitization.
• Nuco: Biodegradable coconut leather from waste coconut water.
• CleanHydro: AI-powered app for analyzing water samples and test strips.
• PCOSitive Buddy: AI-based app supporting women with PCOS.
• MinuTax: Fully automated, AI-powered tax filing solution.
• Grad2Go: Student-driven furniture moving and resale service.

Competition Winners and Track Champions

Grand Prize Winner ($20,000): Grad2Go

Runner-up ($5,000): GlowGuard

EvoNexus Fan Favorite Award ($1,000): Oslo

Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialty Prize ($2,500): PCOSitive Buddy

Track Winners

Business Products & Services:
1st – TransMobile VR ($10,000)
2nd – ServEasy ($5,000)

Consumer Products:
1st – GlowGuard ($10,000)
2nd – Nuco ($5,000)

Consumer Services:
1st – PCOSitive Buddy ($10,000)
2nd – MinuTax ($5,000)

Life Sciences:
1st – NasoCoustics ($10,000)
2nd – Oslo ($5,000)

Social Enterprise:
1st – CleanHydro ($10,000)
2nd – Grad2Go ($5,000)