Fisher Entrepreneur Earns Top Honors at AI Startup Competition

St. John Fisher University student Jack Hetzel earned 3rd place and a $250 prize at the AI Startup Jam hosted by NextCorps, Rochester’s hub for entrepreneurship, competing against a field of experienced professionals and entrepreneurs from across the region.

Hetzel, a junior finance major, was one of four Fisher students selected to participate alongside Brennan Conn, Kayden Fera, and Rick Grabaski. Participants were challenged to develop and pitch innovative, AI-driven business ideas in a fast-paced, real-world environment. The competition featured over 40 participants, many of whom were professionals and startup founders. Hetzel’s app, called NestEgg, was developed with one goal in mind: help people save more money.

“I have noticed that a lot of people around my age tend to be terrible at understanding how to not spend every dollar they have. I personally feel that traditional budget apps out there right now are either boring, restrictive, or completely overwhelming. My idea to make this app was to create an app that I would personally use for my own saving goals, and hope that others would use it to improve their lives as well,” said Hetzel.

He used AI to assist him in building the prototype product, saving him time. According to Hetzel, the app functions like many that are on the market now, gathering financial information including income, expenses, assets, and liabilities, while giving personalized recommendations back to the user. The NestEgg differentiator is that it gamifies the system of saving.

“It’s called NestEgg because its mascot is a duck. When you start a new savings goal, you start with an egg. As you save more money and get closer to your goal, it hatches into a duckling and then a duck. Once you reach your goal, the duck lays another egg, and the idea is to have you start another savings journey to repeat the cycle over again but for a different goal,” he explained. “I also want to feature a daily streak system to encourage people to check their finances every day. I want the app to feel very visually appealing and engaging so the user comes back to use it, which I don’t feel that competitors are doing well right now.”

Dr. Chantz Miles, Rebecca Pelino Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the School of Business, said that despite being among the few undergraduate students in the room, Hetzel distinguished himself through his creativity, clarity of thought, and ability to translate complex ideas into a compelling pitch.

“His performance not only earned him top recognition from the judges but also demonstrated the strength of Fisher students within the broader innovation ecosystem,” he said.

Miles went on to say that this achievement reflects the growing momentum of entrepreneurship and innovation at Fisher, where students are gaining hands-on experience, competing at high levels, and confidently stepping into spaces alongside industry professionals.

“Jack’s success and the strong showing from all four Fisher students is a powerful example of what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Fisher students are not just learning about innovation, they are actively leading in it,” said Miles.

As for Hetzel, his biggest advice for other student entrepreneurs looking to get started with their business idea or venture is simple: just start.

“If you’ve ever had an idea for a business, there has never been a better time to start. The barrier to entry is incredibly low, and AI tools are both low-cost and powerful enough to help you at nearly every stage of building. If you have an idea, the tools are already waiting for you,” he said.