Sammy Sayles, l-r, Ken Barry, Startup Madness 2025 competition winners Asha Patel and Jude Jimenez of Sprout Education, Nicole Barry, Shekinah Walton, and Jennifer Walton

Uthiverse awards funding to young entrepreneurs at StartUp Madness 2025

Contributed By: Off the Cover News, Jonathan Bradford

Teen entrepreneurs competed for seed funding at StartUp Madness 2025, a high-energy business pitch competition inspired by March Madness. Sprout Education took home the top prize, securing funding to advance its mission of providing financial literacy education to young people.


The event was hosted by Ken Patrick Barry, co-founder and director of Impact & Innovation at Uthiverse Inc., alongside his wife, executive director Nicole Barry. The Gary, Indiana natives have worked with youth for 25 years and created Uthiverse to empower students with opportunities that foster innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership.

“We offer young people opportunities, not just programs,” Ken Barry said.

Barry, who considers himself a nonprofit entrepreneur, said much of the funding for StartUp Madness came from his own pocket. Additional support came from the Indiana Youth Institute and local businesses that believe in the Uthiverse mission.

“I love the startup process and the journey people take to achieve their goals,” he said. “StartUp Madness is another way we invest in young talent.”

Barry highlighted past success stories, including Lazieye Media, a content production company and ScentSeal, a business that developed a gel-based fragrance enhancer.

The StartUp Madness 2025 Competitors were very ambitious.

The competition featured six teams: Alcove, Filet Twist, Sprout Education, LEVEL, Septo, and Shield. Each team presented innovative business ideas aimed at solving real-world problems.

Alcove – Founded by Jurnee Woods, Alcove is an AI-powered visualization tool that helps users redesign their spaces, from homes to offices.

Filet Twist – Created by Cameron Hutson, this compact fillet knife twists into the bottom of a fishing pole handle for convenient storage.

LEVEL – Founded by Ian Kelly and Zack Felty, LEVEL is a classroom gaming system that enhances student engagement through interactive learning tools.

Septo – Developed by Alexis Karahalios, Septo offers a noninvasive solution for early infection detection, particularly for those with open wounds and bedsores.

Shield – Led by Dhara Patwl, Shield provides products designed to manage excessive sweating due to hyperhidrosis, anxiety or stress.

Lastly, Sprout Education, led by executive director Asha Patel and director of Spanish operations Jude Jimenez, won StartUp Madness 2025. The organization provides free, accessible lessons on economics, finance and personal investments for youth in Northwest Indiana Region.

“One in five teenagers lack basic financial literacy skills, and 73% of teens have expressed a desire for more personal finance education,” Patel said. “We want to inspire financial independence and economic success.”

Jimenez, who assists with Spanish translations, emphasized the importance of reaching diverse communities. “I grew up immersed in both Spanish and English, and I saw how financial literacy gaps affected different demographics,” he said.

Investing in the next generation is a focal point in the Barry’s lives.

Barry congratulated the winners and pledged to continue supporting young entrepreneurs. He shared plans to offer free grant-writing courses to help aspiring business owners secure funding.

Sprout won a $500 cash prize.

“I’ve personally raised over $7 million through grant writing and fund development,” he said. “I want to share this knowledge and collaborate with organizations like Sprout and LEVEL.”

Judges for the event included Gretchen Sipp, a Gary marketing specialist; Jennifer Walton, director of FaithWorks; Shekinah Victoria; and digital designer Sammy Sayles Jr.

“The Barry family went into their community, got people involved and created an event where students could showcase their talent and hard work,” Sipp said. “It’s inspiring to see.”

Walton praised the competition as a stepping stone for young entrepreneurs. “Even if a contestant didn’t win, simply being in the room and learning from the experience is valuable,” she said. “This event helps prepare them for even bigger opportunities in the future.”

StartUp Madness 2025 provided a platform for young innovators to develop and pitch their ideas, setting the stage for future success.

Story Posted:04/04/2025