From idea to startup: Quinnipiac summer program helps student entrepreneurs build their businesses

HAMDEN, Conn. – July 24, 2026 – For more than a year, Fairfield's Anson Pitts, pictured, has been developing, Pocket Birdie, an AI golf coaching app designed to help golfers improve their swings through personalized feedback.

This week at Quinnipiac University's High School Entrepreneurship & Innovation Summer Experience, the rising Hopkins School junior wasn't focused on writing code. He was learning how to turn his product into a business.

"I've done a lot of research about the product," Pitts said. "But the business plan side of things, that's what this course really helped me with."

Pocket Birdie allows golfers to upload videos of their swings. Computer vision technology analyzes their mechanics, measures swing metrics and feeds the information into an AI model that provides feedback, recommends drills and generates workouts based on a user's goals and skill level.

While Pitts has spent months developing the app, he said the weeklong program has helped him think more strategically about what comes next.

"This is my first business that I've started," he said. "These classes helped me think through a little bit more of what my business strategy is going to be, community outreach both through social media and in public events. I've really taken time now to think about things that I hadn't thought about before."

The experience has also introduced him to fellow aspiring entrepreneurs.

"It's been helpful meeting a bunch of people who are interested in the same things," Pitts said. "I've met a couple kids that are into app development that might be able to help me."

Pitts is one of 18 high school students participating in this summer's program, led by David Tomczyk, associate professor of entrepreneurship and strategy; Danielle Giglione, visiting instructor of entrepreneurship and strategy; and Jake Sturrock, adjunct professor.

Throughout the week, students move from developing ideas to validating them by interviewing potential customers and, in some cases, industry professionals. They also learn the fundamentals of business planning before presenting their ideas on Friday.

"They're talking to potential customers to find out, 'Is their idea good? Are there things that they should be considering that they didn't consider before?'" Tomczyk said.

By the end of the program, students will have developed business concepts they can continue refining after the week concludes.

"They will have a solid business idea that they can continue working on and hopefully launch and make money with," Tomczyk said.

Tomczyk said the program has a strong track record of helping students continue their entrepreneurial journeys. In a typical year, two to four businesses continue after the camp while other participants apply what they learned to future ventures. Previous participants have gone on to launch a nonprofit and a music production business. Both later enrolled at Quinnipiac.

Pitts is still exploring his college options, with Quinnipiac among the schools he is considering. For now, he is leaving the program with something just as valuable, a clearer plan for turning Pocket Birdie from an idea into a business.