Team Flow Bag captures first place in WPHS INCubatoredu Final Pitch Night

The pressure was on and the stakes were high at White Plains High School’s INCubatoredu Final Pitch Night on Wednesday, when the Flow Bag team came out on top with a winning idea that combined confidence and business savvy to solve a real-world problem.

The four students – Neela Older, Amanda Ramos, Kelly Tirado and Layla Hanbali – created the discreet and practical organizer for period products and captivated the five judges in the school auditorium.

Seven student teams reprised their original pitches from February with new and improved presentations in a “Shark Tank”-style competition that challenged them to combine entrepreneurship, marketing, public speaking and product development skills.

Flow Bag earned the top prize – a glittering trophy and first-place medals – after presenting a stylish and functional organizer designed to help users discreetly carry and access menstrual products in a hygienic fashion.

“We worked really hard,” a smiling Amanda said shortly after the victory as she held up the trophy awarded by Principal Emerly Martinez. “We were really scared because we had a lot of setbacks coming up to the final pitch. So this is a huge relief!”

She said the team hopes to continue expanding the concept, including outreach to women’s sports teams.

Second-place medals went to Defense-X, whose Buzz Block Band mosquito-repellent wristband targeted outdoor enthusiasts and families looking for a safer, naturally derived alternative to traditional bug sprays. 

Third-place medals were awarded to Pee Purge, a pet stain and odor remover designed to eliminate smells while discouraging repeat accidents from pets.

The competition capped off a yearlong experience through INCubatoredu, a nationally recognized entrepreneurship program that gives students the opportunity to develop startup concepts from scratch while working alongside business mentors, coaches and community advisors to gain market input on a minimum viable product (MVP).

Teams also can apply and compete in the Annual National Pitch Event hosted in Chicago by Uncharted Learning.

“The students identify a common problem that they have in their life,” INCubatoredu teacher and host Jesse Drury told the audience. “They come up with a solution to it, and then they actually build the product itself and try to turn it into a viable business.”

He explained that the final presentations were judged not only on speaking ability and business plans, but also on whether the products showed genuine investment potential.

“This is like a Shark Tank-like class,” he said. “These judges here are going to decide if this is a company that’s worth investing in or not.”

The judging panel included Mario Mirabella, founder and CEO of MSM Digital and member of the Forbes Agency Council; Meryl Stevens, a marketing expert at Morgan Stanley; Todd Ilberg, senior customer success manager at Adobe; Ashley LeBlanc, a WPHS French teacher with a background in digital marketing; and Matus Knoblich, CEO and managing director of Med-Stat Consulting Services.

Throughout the evening, students fielded tough questions about branding, target markets, pricing strategies, customer acquisition and scalability.
The Flow Bag team stood out with matching jackets, branded materials and prototype bags featuring compartments for tampons, pads and medication, along with a detachable strap and water-resistant liner.

“We didn’t want the bag to be this huge bag that women have to take everywhere they go and everyone knows, ‘Oh, that’s a menstruation bag,’” one team member explained during the presentation. “We wanted one place to keep tampons, pads, medicine and even a heating pad.”

The judges praised both the practicality of the idea and the professionalism of the presentation. One even suggested the students reach out to women’s sports teams such as the New York Liberty for potential partnerships.

Defense-X also drew strong reactions with its reusable mosquito-repellent wristband made with essential oils and nootkatone, a naturally derived ingredient found in grapefruit and Alaska yellow cedar.

Senior Max Barrera admitted before taking the stage that the moment felt both exciting and nerve-racking.

“I feel pretty honored to be here, but also pretty nervous about standing on this stage and presenting this,” he said, standing alongside teammates Justin Milianta, Rafael Ramirez and Russell Miller.

The team said it hopes to eventually market the product through major retailers such as Walmart, Bass Pro Shops and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The Pee Purge team demonstrated testing methods and even incorporated a humorous gag with a planted audience member yelling complimentary questions, earning praise from the judges for creativity and marketability.

“I own a dog. I think about this problem all the time,” Mr. Ilberg told the group. “Your product, as I understand, is spray it and forget it.”

Other student businesses included CashCampus, an app that gamifies studying and rewards students financially; Auto Essentials, a DIY oil-change kit for people with rudimentary mechanical skills; Ottomatic Hairgrowth, a hair oil blend focused on strengthening hair and promoting growth; and WiFi Wizards, a customizable Wi-Fi extender designed to solve dead zones and simplify setup through an app.

Mr. Martinez said the event highlighted both the creativity of students and the district’s emphasis on authentic, real-world learning experiences.

“All of these products are about improving the lives of others,” the principal said. “That speaks to who we are as White Plains.”

He praised the students for balancing rigorous academics, athletics and extracurricular commitments while tackling the demands of entrepreneurship.
“They are learning that real-world process,” Mr. Martinez said. “It’s not as simple as creating something. It’s about thinking about a plan, being organized and figuring out how you’re going to get this product out there to the masses.”

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Debbie Hand said the district introduced the program several years ago to give students hands-on entrepreneurial experience that extends beyond the classroom.

“I think the process is the most important thing,” Dr. Hand said. “Learning the public speaking behind it, the examination of the finances, how you’re going to develop the product, and also just the communication skills that go into it.”

She added that the program helps students explore future career pathways while developing skills they can carry into college, business and beyond.

“I think it gives them a seed of what it’s like to start your own business,” she said.

List of the teams, grades:

Flow Bag
Neela Older 12
Layla Hanbali 11
Amanda Ramos 12
Kelly Tirado 11

Defense-X
Justin Milianta 12
Max Barrera 12
Rafael Ramirez 12
Russell Miller 12

Pee Purge 
Jonah Glazman 11
Logan Cardona 11
Matt Perretto 11
Sebastian Baylock 11

WiFi Wizards 
Luca Varrelmann 12
Emmanuel Ocampo 12
Patrick Dooley 12
J'lyia Primo 12

Auto Essentials 
Jahir Cortes 12
Chris Gamero 12
Gustavo Villamares 12
Jorge Altamarino 12 
 
CashCampus
Natalie Balin 12
Daniel Salas 11
Aden Hadi 12
Mauricio Calderon 11

Ottomatic Hairgrowth  
Otto Armstrong 12
Christian Boateng 12
Juan Becerril 12
Ricardo Marcano 12