SPARK Hollywood Pitch Competition Sponsored by NSU and won by an NSU Student

Stefano Selorio, a marketing major at NSU’s Huizenga College of Business, recently won first place in Hollywood’s 2020 SPARK Pitch Competition. He received $5,000 for pitching his tech education startup – Carevocacy.

“During the pandemic, I had to pivot the original idea to what today’s older adults need. Carevocacy is helping older adults learn about technology through remote live classes so that they can stay connected with their loved ones. I’ve been able to help older adults from connecting on to Zoom to helping them talk to their healthcare provider via telehealth. The service may be different, but the vision remains the same – to create a caring culture in healthcare.” said Selorio.

SPARK Hollywood, FL has offered more than 100 entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their ventures to expert judges, and awarded more than $20,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to spark businesses since 2017. It provides a platform to access valuable resources available in the City of Hollywood and South Florida while further developing their entrepreneurial skills. SPARK Hollywood, FL is presented by the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Hollywood. It is supported by The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, NSU Broward Center of Innovation, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Community Service Foundation of Broward x Bob Giacin | Trustee and Committee of 100 x Hollywood.

On top of his $5,000 cash prize, he was also offered complimentary membership to NSU’s Broward Center of Innovation. The Levan Center of Innovation is a public-private partnership between NSU and Broward County. The Center is focused on three themes (innovation, technology, entrepreneurship) and four pillars (ideate, incubate, accelerate, post-accelerate). The Center is being designed to serve the community resulting in breakthrough ideas, new technology, job creation, talent skills pipeline, company formation, and scaling of early-stage and young startup companies.

Selorio also has partnered with Linda Maurice from NSU’s Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) from the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Medicine. “Working with Linda’s older adults network has allowed us to better understand the community, create relationships, and build custom learning styles.” said Selorio. To learn more about NSU’s LLI, click here.

“Starting, pivoting, and running a business while in school is not easy. Yet, I’m so grateful for the support of my friends and family for pushing my vision forward. At the end of the day, I am focused on creating solutions for today’s problems.” said Selorio.

Click here to learn more about Carevocacy