AC ‘Dog Tank Business Competition’ awards top student entrepreneur $5,000; runner-up receives $2,000
Posted Friday, March 21, 2025
Author: Mickey Alvarado
The inaugural Adrian College “Dog Tank Business Competition” took place on Friday, March 14, and a panel of five judges awarded Adrian College senior Anthony Greear $5,000 to expand his business, Dormly.
Adrian College senior Jonathon Melendez finished runner-up in the Dog Tank, held in Jones Hall, and received $2,000 to help support his business, Touchdown Mobile Detailing.
Similar to the “Shark Tank” TV show, student contestants gave individual presentations to the “Dogs” in the tank, five well-respected local entrepreneurs: Ken Calender — Adrian College Board of Trustee member; CEO and founder of KC Logistics; Jason Derby — president of Creek Enterprise; Pat Farver — chairman of the Adrian College Board of Trustees and executive director of Lenawee Now; Tina Hubbard — CEO of HDA Truck Pride; and Jim Van Doren — chairman of the Lenawee County Board of Commissioners.
Two other contestants, Themba Mazibuko (Venstra AI) and Guido Fittipaldi (Verde Cycle) will receive help acquiring an LLC for their business, which cost approximately $500 to establish through a legal firm.
The money for the awards came from Adrian College’s Development Office through an anonymous donor.
Adrian College professor and entrepreneur Scott Westfall brainstormed the Dog Tank idea with fellow business department professors, Drew Blazsik, Anthony Duran and Christopher Rodgers, who selected the final four contestants out of 10 submissions.
“Our business department as a whole is always thinking, how can we do more for our students,” Westfall said. “We just reach a little higher as a college. It just seemed like this is a competition that can bring out the best in some of our very ambitious students.”
The finalists spoke for 10 minutes and had a 15-minute question and answer session to impress the judges enough to help promote their business with some much-needed funding.
Greear, of Gibraltar, Mich., is a senior with a business major focusing on management and entrepreneurial studies. His business, Dormly, transforms dormitory rooms into personalized spaces by offering customizable services including room wraps, 3D accent walls, lighting solutions, and more. Greear said his business aims to alleviate homesickness, anxiety, and depression by creating inviting spaces that students can call their own.
“Dorm rooms are plain and uninviting,” Greear told the judges. “Studies show that in the first 10 weeks, 94 percent of students experience homesickness, 42 percent experience anxiety and 36 percent experience depression, which can be very serious. Dorm rooms are a place where students spend most of their time when they’re not in class. It should feel like home, not a holding cell. That’s why I created Dormly.”
Greear said what sets Dormly apart from its competitors is its full-service customization approach.
“We not only provide high-quality, personalized dorm room decor, but we also handle the installation and removal of all materials,” he said.
Before being selected as the winner, Greear was grilled by the judges about how he intends to expand his business and what exactly he will do with the money.
He said he currently works with Adrian College to offer customized dorms to current students, and he will use the $5,000 to hire a couple dormitory technicians and a manager and expand to other colleges and universities.
“It feels great, after putting a lot of work getting everything together for the judges,” Greear said of winning. “I’m excited to continue making a positive impact and helping students feel more at home during their college journey.”
Melendez, of Trenton, Mich., is an Adrian College senior majoring in business. His business, Touchdown Mobile Detailing, is a premium, on-demand mobile car detailing business based in Detroit.
“Our mission is to provide top-quality vehicle detailing services at customers’ homes or workplaces, offering unparalleled convenience and excellence,” Melendez said. “Services include exterior and interior detailing, paint protection, and fleet detailing.”
Mazibuko, of Johannesburg, South Africa, is an Adrian College sophomore with a double major, working on a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.S. in Computer Science. His business, Venstra AI, is an artificial intelligence platform he created “to help entrepreneurs venture smarter and scale faster.”
Fittipaldi, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is an Adrian College Senior majoring in Business. He said his business, Verde Cycle, was created to offer a sustainable solution to Michigan’s food waste crisis.
“We transform organic waste into clean, renewable energy — powering industries sustainably while reducing environmental impact for future generations,” he said.
Farver commented at the end of the event and said all four contestants did a great job.
“The judges really had a tough time with this,” Farver said. “We could have awarded each and every one of you the top prize.”
For more information about Adrian College’s business programs, visit adrian.edu.
