ECU unveils new name for Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge as first round begins

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – ECU’s eighth annual Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge kicked off Tuesday afternoon, but this year, it’s going by a new name, and it’s all thanks to a generous multi-million dollar donation.

As more than 70 student teams were setting up their projects to present their innovative ideas for products and services on ECU’s mall, leaders from the Miller School of Entrepreneurship gathered inside the Isley Innovation Hub to unveil the challenge’s new name: The Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge.

The challenge was named thanks to a generous $3.2 million donation from Helen Aman and her family, honoring her husband, entrepreneur and ECU alum Gene ‘65. Gene worked for 40 years with Golden Corral’s parent company.

“When you have an institution that’s so invested in providing a good return on investment, it’s a place people want to give back to,” said Chancellor Dr. Philip Rogers. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to honor his name through one of the great challenges on our campus.”

The investment will go beyond the Miller School, offering ECU students of all majors participating in the pitch competition mentorship and experiential learning opportunities.

“When you put in a premiere challenge and actually funding your students and kicking off these ideas, it really presents a comprehensive package that isn’t seen in a lot of places,” said Chip Galusha, the school’s director.

The challenge has awarded more than $900,000 in prizes and services to more than 25 teams since 2017. When the final round concludes in April, they’ll be topping $1 million.

Last year’s winner, Tyler Hodge, said the chunk of change he received to fund his project was great, but he never imagined the support and network he’d get from the challenge.

“The investment, the money is awesome, but in reality, I think it’s the people who come with it, the network that you get through the challenge, it’s just incredible,” said Hodge.

This is the second largest gift the Miller School of Entrepreneurship has received, behind the $5 million donation from the Miller family, which helped establish the school in 2015.

Students who advance to the second round of the challenge will present their projects on February 4, 2025.

The final round is set for April 15, 2025.

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