Championship Round

Paul J. Holloway Prize celebrating 30 years

Vote for the 2025 Holloway Competition People's Choice Award

 Register Now To Attend the 2025 Holloway Competition

 

Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Come see six teams of top student entrepreneurs and innovators pitch their business plans to a panel of industry-leading judges for a chance to win the top prize of $15,000 in the 37th annual Paul J. Holloway Prize Competition.

2025 Schedule

 

1 p.m. Competition Opening

Room G75, Paul College Auditorium

Welcome by Holloway Competition Chair Andrew Earle

1:05 p.m. Judges Q&A with Student Entrepreneurs

Room G75, Paul College Auditorium

1:05 p.m. QuickQuery AI

1:32 p.m. Thrival

1:59 p.m. Nuelife

2:30 Break

3:00 p.m. Aerial Perspectives, LLC

3:27 p.m. Granite State Systems

3:54 Obscura AI

4:30 p.m. Celebratory Reception and Awards Ceremony

5:00 p.m. Winning Teams Announced and the

2025 Paul J. Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year award

 

Prizes

 

$15,000- 1st Place Team
$10,000- 2nd Place Team
$5,000- 3rd Place Team
$1,000- Runner-Up  Teams
$2,000- People's Choice Award Winner

Vote in the
People's Choice Award!


Vote for your favorite team

to take home an extra $2,000! Make your vote count twice by also voting using an in-person ballot at the event.
Voting will close on May 8 at 4:45 p.m.

 

Aerial Perspectives, LLC

Illegal and unsafe drone usage has become a serious hazard in many communities. Aerial Perspectives, LLC offers a solution by utilizing modern unmanned aircraft technology to provide professional drone services at competitive prices. We also work directly with the public to promote the safe, legal, and effective use of drones through hands-on training. Common services include aerial photography and videography, mapping, residential thermal imaging, roof surveys, and pet search & rescue. All pilots are FAA Part 107 Commercially Certified..

Ryan Guerette, UNH, COLA (Stratham, NH)

Faculty Advisor: Joshua Cyr

Granite State Systems

Granite State Systems leverages novel sensor technology and a proprietary algorithm to integrate machine learning into a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit to optimize energy consumption by pre-cooling or pre-heating a cold storage warehouse (CSW) during periods of lower electricity prices.

Brett Schultz, UNH, Paul College (Hometown: North Reading, MA)

Shea Garland, UNH, Paul College (Hometown: Lakeville, MA)

Rowan Baptista, UNH, (Hometown: Lakeville, MA)

Faculty Advisor: Joshua Cyr

Nuelife

100% natural skin serums crafted with sustainability in mind. Offering a clean, eco-friendly alternative to the synthetic ingredients commonly used by major brands, and meeting the growing consumer demand for natural, environmentally responsible skincare solutions. 

Aiden Bondaz, UNH, CEPS (Hometown: Gilford, NH)

Faculty Advisor: Joshua Cyr

Obscura AI

Obscura AI is a privacy tool that protects your digital fingerprint from being used against you. Traditional tools like VPNs and ad blockers try to hide or block your data, but modern tracking systems can still profile and exploit you based on digital fingerprint, which is made up of device details, behavior patterns, and data signals. Obscura does what other tools don't, it feeds tracking systems false but believable data and simulated behavior. This means tracking systems build a profile on a user who doesn't even exist, leaving your real digital identity protected.

Shaun Devan, UNH, CEPS (Hometown: Derry, NH)

Xander Cogan (Londonderry, NH)

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Marek Petrik

QuickQuery AI

QuickQuery AI provides AI-powered assistants for local government websites. Finding information on government sites is often like searching for a needle in a haystack our assistant solves that. From locating the right forms to creating citizen newsletters, and much more, it’s the ultimate citizen support tool.

Arthur Murphy, UNH, Paul College (Hometown: Deerfield, NH)

Faculty Advisor: Joshua Cyr

Thrival

Thrival delivers targeted deep tissue therapy through adjustable tools built for every body and muscle group. Leading a fast-growing niche in the multibillion-dollar recovery market, it’s becoming the go-to solution for at-home recovery.

Dominic Rainville, UNH, Paul College (Hometown: Montreal, Canada)

Faculty Advisor: Joshua Cyr

Moderator(s):

Moderator: Peter Chusid

Time Keeper: Peter Chusid

JUDGES 
Peter Paul '67, Owner & Chairman, Headlands Asset Management

Gareth Dickens '02, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO of ConvenientMD

Meg Rotondo '11G, Vice President, Product Operations at Digimarc 

Maria Proulx, President, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire

Jeremy Hitchcock, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, New North Ventures 

Jackie Russ, '88. CFO & COO Glance Networks.

Josh Cyr Named UNH Paul J. Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year 

Josh Cyr

Josh Cyr '96, a dedicated mentor, innovator, and champion of New Hampshire's startup ecosystem, has been named the University of New Hampshire's Paul J. Holloway Entrepreneur of the Year. 

Cyr was presented the award at this year's Paul J. Holloway Prize Competition, UNH's premier business plan competition. Cyr graduated from UNH with a degree in business administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics (now the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics). 

Cyr's career spans the intersection of entrepreneurship, mentorship, startups, and emerging technology. Currently serving as the interim director of the Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center (ECenter) at UNH, he has become an invaluable connector for students, faculty, and staff, helping bridge ideas and opportunities through UNH Innovation's Venture Studio, the library, and entrepreneurial programs across campus. 

In the 2024-2025 academic year alone, Cyr has held 139 formal one-on-one meetings with students about their ideas, alongside countless informal interactions, all dedicated to advancing students' entrepreneurial journeys. 

Previously, Cyr created and ran a startup accelerator for the NH Tech Alliance (formerly Alpha Loft) in New Hampshire, where he supported hundreds of startup founders over the past decade. He developed and led all educational programming, helped founders refine their business fundamentals and fundraising pitches, and facilitated introductions that resulted in millions of dollars raised for area startups. His leadership also included organizing hundreds of events that fostered New Hampshire's innovation ecosystem. 

Before his accelerator work, Cyr served as a CTO and software developer, co-founding a company that built commercial content management software used by Fortune 500 companies, universities, banks, municipalities, and small businesses. 

Beyond his professional career, Cyr has been active in community service, having served as a city councilor for Portsmouth, NH, president of his children's elementary Parent Teacher Organization, and as a board member for numerous area non-profits. He has also been a member of Portsmouth's Economic Development Commission, Recreation Board, and Joint Budget Committee. 

Cyr remains deeply engaged with emerging technologies, having focused considerable time in recent years on early-stage startups, cryptocurrency, and web3 technologies. He is a frequent presenter at events across New Hampshire, typically speaking on emerging technology and early-stage startups. 

Among his distinctions, Cyr was named one of the "10 to Watch Under 40" by Catapult Seacoast and Seacoast Media Group. He has also testified at two U.S. congressional field hearings—one on net neutrality and another on the importance of broadband in rural areas. 

Students and colleagues praise Cyr's impact and mentorship style. He encourages experimentation and views failure as part of the process—not something to fear—communicating that perspective with kindness, humility, and humor. 

A Special Thank you to our Event Supporters
Paul and Anna Grace Holloway
Bud Albin Entrepreneurship Fund
Charles and Mirium Nelson Fund for Business Innovation
 

#HollowayPrize