Takeaways
- UGA student wins big: Wyatt McAvoy took home the $10,000 FABricate prize for his performance beverage startup, Niche Supplements.
- Ideas with real momentum: Students pitched solutions in agriculture, nutrition and beyond, with funding and mentorship to move concepts forward.
- Innovation across campus: FABricate brings together students from multiple disciplines, strengthening ideas through collaboration and expert feedback.
In one of the most electrifying FABricate contests to date, student entrepreneurs from across the University of Georgia pitched innovative ideas to address challenges in agriculture, space technology and nutrition.
The $10,000 cash prize this year went to Wyatt McAvoy, co-founder of Niche Supplements. Niche is a performance beverage company with plans to expand its product lines and market reach.
“I’m just so excited — I’m ecstatic,” McAvoy said following the competition. “There were so many amazing companies out here tonight that could have won. It was super close, and I just feel very grateful.”
McAvoy is working to grow Niche Supplements as a pre-workout beverage brand that currently features flavors such as mango-pineapple and fruit punch. With the FABricate winnings, he plans to scale production and strengthen the company’s marketing strategy.
“We’ll put that immediately toward expanding our flavors, keeping consistent inventory in stock and launching paid marketing in addition to our social channels,” he said.
About the competition
FABricate is an entrepreneurial pitch competition where students develop ideas for new food products, agricultural technologies and businesses rooted in sustainability. Hosted by CAES and held at the Delta Innovation Hub, the competition is open to students across UGA.
Since launching in 2017, FABricate has expanded beyond its original CAES audience, welcoming participants from all majors. The program has been co-sponsored by the UGA Entrepreneurship Program since 2020, offering students mentorship, funding and a pathway to bring their ideas to life.
Building innovation through experience
For McAvoy, the program represents more than just a competition, it’s a launchpad for innovation.
“College isn’t only for education and making great employees, it’s also for making great innovators,” he said. “These programs provide funding as well as mentorship and guidance that help companies become successful early on.”
He added that the impact of these programs extends beyond campus, influencing communities at the local, state and even global level.
A collaborative approach to innovation
Chris Rhodes, executive director of the UGA Innovation District, works closely with students throughout the competition, helping them refine their ideas and strengthen their business strategies.
As the program has grown, Rhodes said his experience, along with that of returning judges, has improved the caliber of feedback students receive.
“The more pitches I’ve seen, the better I’ve gotten at helping diagnose where there are opportunities to improve,” Rhodes said. “We’re able to get to the soft spots of a business and help students strengthen those areas.”
This year’s competition reflected the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of innovation at UGA.
I think only about half of the participants were from CAES,” Rhodes said. “But they’re all solving problems that matter: food, agriculture and sustainability. It shows the value of bringing together students from different disciplines.”
Rhodes noted that these cross-campus collaborations often extend beyond the competition itself, creating long-term partnerships and future ventures.
“That’s where the real value comes from,” he said.
