Three students walk away with funding from UT Anderson Center Fall Vol Court
The winning companies include a menstrual relief wearable, youth sports streaming, and a noise suppression device for people with auditory triggers.
Something must be in the air on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) campus, because year after year the student-owned business ideas get stronger and stronger.
With the university system’s increased focus on cross-departmental collaboration, the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s (ACEI) ever-growing presence on campus, and rise in creative, technology-native students, it’s formed the perfect storm for student businesses to take shape.
Breanna Hale, the Executive Director of the Anderson Center stood in front of a room of about 40 students to introduce the 2026 Fall Vol Court Idea Pitch Competition.
“This is the hardest of all three of our competitions on campus,” she said. Vol Court is a 90-second elevator pitch with no slide deck. The other competitions – Graves Business Plan and Boyd Venture Challenge provide students with more time, more resources, and more room for questioning from the judges. During Vol Court, the judging panel only gets one question per student.
The Big Winners – Fall 2026!
First Place- WarmWave
WarmWave, founded by Kendra Mueller, took home first place and $1,500 in the 2026 Fall Vol Court. Her business idea has been under development for a while, and focused on providing menstrual relief in the form of a wearable.
Unlike traditional period-cramp mitigation products like wired heating pads, Midol patches, and microwavable plush toys, WarmWave is a portable product that can be worn underneath clothing, providing lasting relief all day. In her pitch, Mueller suggested that her product could also be used beyond the menstrual market, providing lasting heat relief for sore muscles or cramps on any person.
Mueller will present on the 865 Fest stage on September 29 as part of the Emerging Entrepreneur Pitch Competition.
Second Place- Caspair.TV
Caspair.tv, founded by Charlie Sarafian and Jack Foster, is already an operational business in East Tennessee monetizing the streaming of youth and club sports. Many current streaming models require family and friends to pay a subscription to watch their loved ones and relatives play in both competitive and recreational leagues; however, Sarafian and Foster see a workaround that would allow the consumers to view for free: advertising.
By partnering with local advertisers, the founders believe they can offer the streaming service to large audiences, and help business owners connect with the right customers.
Third Place- CalmEars
Katrina Siftilis, the founder of CalmEars, has been dealing with a misophonia diagnosis all her life. The condition affects her sensitivity to certain sounds that can trigger intense emotional reactions like anger, panic or anxiety.
According to the Misophonia Research Fund, as much as 4.6% of adults experience clinically significant misophonia that impacts their daily lives. Current remedies on the market include over-the-ear headphones or noise cancellation devices; however, Siftilis argues that these devices can make the condition even more isolating.
What she, and many others with misophonia, needs relief from is specific triggers. CalmEars is her idea for a hardware device that could be customized by the user to suppress their trigger sounds.
The judges for the 2026 Fall Vol Court included Gregg Bostick, the Director, Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC)-Knoxville, Marcus Blair, the founder of Omega Business Solutions, Brandon Bruce, General Partner of Market Square Ventures and Co-founder of 121 Tech Hub, and Katelyn Biefeldt, Managing Editor for PYA’s Teknovation.
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