KENT, Ohio – As she prepares to graduate from Kent State in December, senior Sophia Edmunds reflects on an unexpected achievement that capped off her senior year.
On Dec. 1, Edmunds – a senior fashion merchandising major and marketing minor – took first place in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Idea Pitch competition for her idea, REVEIL. The competition, hosted by the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship, helps Kent State students develop their startup companies and pitch their business ideas to a panel of executive judges to win cash prizes.
Edmunds, who was involved in dance and volleyball from a young age, has dealt with the problem of uncomfortable feminine lines for as long as she can remember. She came up with a simple fashion hack and last May with the idea that it might help a few friends. The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 6 million views and numerous comments from women suggesting she pitch the idea to Shark Tank.
“That sparked the entrepreneur in me and gave me that push to develop a business and make it my own,” Edmunds said.
With the encouragement of her friends, family and online followers, Edmunds developed the idea for REVEIL. REVEIL undergarments allow women to feel limitless in their activewear by concealing uncomfortable feminine lines.
Edmunds was encouraged to enter the Idea Pitch by her friend Lauren Hollis, a senior entrepreneurship major who won the college’s 2022 spring CEBIpitch competition, also hosted by the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Edmunds was one of 10 students to make the final round and took first place in the competition.
“I was really shocked – it was such a satisfying moment to not only win first place but to also have the effort I put into the presentation validated. I definitely pushed my boundaries and went beyond what I thought I could do.”
Edmunds said the mentorship experience she received from the college’s John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship helped her win the competition – which she considers one of her most memorable experiences at Kent State.
“Entering the Idea Pitch and going through the process of developing a two-minute pitch was a very spur-of-the-moment thing – I never thought that’s how my last semester would go,” she said.
A Missouri native, Edmunds is thankful she decided to transfer to Kent State during her sophomore year. While at Kent, she joined a sorority, made new friends and had the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship. Following graduation, she plans to move to Pennsylvania, where she will work as a bridal stylist and continue developing REVEIL into a business. She made connections with some of the guest judges at the Idea Pitch and is seeking assistance from a number of business accelerators as she takes the next steps.
“This is the first of many pitches I plan to make,” Edmunds said. “My experience at Kent State has definitely given me a different outlook on my future potential.”