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A dream about creating a business cemented into reality and won top honors at last Friday’s C.R.E.A.T.E. Business Idea competition.

Isabella Grinter, a graduate student in the M.S. in Entrepreneurship program, earned first place and $3,000 for her venture, Izzies Bikinies, a custom swimwear brand designed to celebrate confidence and inclusivity through personalized fit and design.

Grinter started her business in high school after she had a dream about creating bikinis. After her dream, she invested in a sewing machine and learned to sew from YouTube, she said.

She realized a lot of the bikinis people were buying at the time were “terrible quality” and wouldn’t fit correctly.

“I wanted a bikini that would fit me and made me feel confident, and it was also patterns that I liked,” she said.

Izzies Bikinies offers 60 fabrics to choose from, and each piece is custom made to fit the customers’ body types.

“You can build your dream bikini,” Grinter added.

Winning the competition helped her feel like her dream was becoming a reality.

“I feel like it’s all coming together now, all the hard work through undergrad and going to events where I’m only selling, you know, like one bikini,” she said.

Grinter is planning to use a portion of the money she won to get a new sewing machine.

Michael Mabius, a junior majoring in economics, secured second place and $1,500 for Pasta 212, a mobile food concept bringing high-quality, fresh pasta dishes to local markets and events through a streamlined, chef-inspired menu.

“At its core, Pasta 212 aims to disrupt American Italian dining by offering the quality of homemade, restaurant-level pasta at a speed and price point that fits everyday life,” Mabius said.

He noted that the average American eats about 20 pounds of pasta each year, yet fast-casual pasta concepts are “virtually nonexistent.”

Mabius plans to use the money he won to buy a new hopper attachment for Pasta 212’s pasta machine.

“This upgrade would increase our output from 18 pounds an hour to about 50 pounds an hour, and it would lower our per-unit cost,” he said. “By increasing production speed and lowering cost, we can serve more and provide more value to customers at high-volume events.”

The third-place prizes of $500 each were awarded to Azzaik, founded by freshman international business and entrepreneurship student Paulina Labarta Meza — an emerging jewelry brand focused on handcrafted artistry — and ELEV8, created by sophomore allied health student Jordyn Kelly, offering nutritious, organic snack options designed to promote healthy habits on the go.

“Millions of women struggle with jewelry that tarnishes or irritates their skin, which is exactly why I created my brand to offer affordable, long-lasting pieces they can actually trust,” said Labarta Meza.

She plans to use the money she won toward purchasing retail displays in boutiques.

ELEV8, founded by Kelly, hopes to revolutionize the way we fuel our bodies and minds, Kelly said.

“(It) isn’t just following wellness trends; we’re setting a new standard for what true nutrition and transparency should look like.”

The company aims to create functional, clean-label snacks that support concentration, calmness and energy without hidden sugars, seed oils or other alternatives.

“I see the need for my business in the market due to the overly processed foods that fill the shelves in stores and vending machines, which contribute to fatigue, inflammation and long-term health problems.”

Kelly plans to invest the prize money strategically to bring ELEV8 closer to launch.

The winners emerged from a field of eight student finalists who advanced through weeks of entrepreneurial bootcamp sessions, mentorship meetings and pitch refinement.

“These students embody the innovative spirit of our community,” said Rebecca White, director of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. “Each venture demonstrates the creativity, resilience and hard work required to transform an idea into something real.”