LA Tank Marks a Decade of Student Innovation at Loyola Academy

At regular checkpoints throughout the product development phase, several alumni served as guest speakers, including Mariette Bahati '15, digital client service associate at JP Morgan Chase & Co., Lukas Kubon '12, director of operations at Toyota Material Handling, and Casey Turro '12, director of marketing at The Kraft-Heinz Company. Additionally, Loyola Academy faculty Nicholas Horrero (Theology), Dan Peterson '79 (CFO), and Dan Wawrzyniak (English) served as judges throughout the semester.

The program, which was launched in 2015, is modeled on Jesuit ingenuity and exposes students to real-world business concepts. What started as a simple idea to give students a jumpstart on their career paths has evolved into a type of thought-laboratory where students can navigate complex life and work environments under the guidance of alumni experts in their fields. Program participants are encouraged to use their God-given gifts and talents to create new business models, solve problems, and improve lives.

The tenth season of LA Tank began in January, and 60 students arrived at the first meeting with business ideas in mind. Students met in small groups to share and improve their ideas together. The night ended with the formation of thirteen teams, each having a unique idea to work with. Accompanying each team is a Loyola Academy alumnus or alumna who advises the group along the way.

A finale event occurred at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center on April 23. The finale featured the top six teams: Class Path, advised by Peri Ehlman '17; FueGO, advised by Lane Ehlman '15; Scoober, advised by Patrick Tata '16; Plan Pal, advised by Luke Hughes '23; Sock Lock, advised by Grace Kennedy '16; and WakeWave, advised by Evan Fay '10.

The teams presented their business proposals in a format inspired by the reality show Shark Tank, which gives contestants an opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of business leaders and field a series of questions.

"Each group had three minutes to explain how their business model is unique and viable, who their target audience is, and how they plan to make money," explains Director of Alumni Relations Ashley Sanks '10, who helps manage Loyola's Tank Program. "Following the pitches, our judges and the audience had the opportunity to ask questions."

Judges included Kevin Bolger '07, CEO of Calibrate; Tim Devine '88, principal of Loyola Academy; Sean Doyce '08 CXO (chief experience officer) of Calibrate; and Nicole Roman, entrepreneurship instructor at New Trier High School.

Acting as potential investors, the judges evaluated each business proposal on the following five criteria: innovation, differentiation, business plan, viability, and presentation.

1st place
First place went to FueGO, a slim rechargeable hand warmer that attaches to the back of a cellphone, and can be taken off for easy use. The team includes juniors Philip Baker, Preston Clarke, Henry Lemmon, Teddy Kurtzwil, and Patrick Reaves and was advised by Lane Ehlman '15. For their efforts, these Ramblers will embark on a summer power internship in New York City where they will have the chance to meet with various LA alumni and explore a number of career paths over a whirlwind two-day trip.

2nd place
Coming in second place was Class Path, A GPS system for school that shows new students how to navigate their campus to get to class. The team consisted of Ava Bongiovanni '27, Sophia Bongiovanni '26, Chloe Cruz '27, Kate Davis '26, and Anna Hemmerl '25. The team was advised by Peri Ehlman '17.

3rd place
WakeWave, a pillow/pillowcase that has a built-in silent alarm that vibrates to wake users up. The team was made up of Shae Burke '25, Yianna Drossos '27, Bernard Opuku-Darkwa '26, and Allie Powers '25 and was advised by Evan Fay '10.

Notably, Mayode Oluwole '25 (SockLock) was awarded the Willer Family Accelerator Award, which recognizes the commitment of a student to the program. Oluwole was chosen for her long-term dedication to the program and her service on the leadership team, during which she worked diligently to ensure the success of the LA Tank program.

"My LA Tank journey has shaped me as a leader in countless ways. It gave me a space to grow into a leader who is confident, collaborative, and resilient," reflects Oluwole. "Whether it's leading in the classroom, in clubs, or in new communities, I feel equipped to show up with purpose and a willingness to keep learning."

"LA Tank also changed the way I think about entrepreneurship," she adds. "Entrepreneurship is much more about persistence, adaptability, and collaboration. It's not just about launching a product, it's about solving real problems, connecting with customers, and continuously learning from both successes and setbacks."

The evening ended with a reception attended by members of our LA Business Network, parents, alumni, and students to celebrate their successes while providing networking opportunities for everyone who attended the program.

We want to recognize our dedicated student leaders: Eva Bonanno '25, Evan Ehlman '25, Anna Hammerl '25, and Mayode Oluwole '25.

Special thanks to Kevin Willer '92 P '26, '27, '29 and our alumni advisers: Lane Ehlman '15, Peri Ehlman '17, Evan Fay '10, Luke Hughes '10, Grace Kennedy '16, Mark King '96, Greg McDonnell '14, Cole Michalek '12, Melody Ogoke '16, Anna Rempe '19, Elizabeth Schoenheider '18, and Patrick Tata '16.

And lastly, we would like to also thank our LA Business Network for providing judges and coming as audience members to support our students. More information on the LA Business Network and how to join can be found here.

About LA Tank
During his senior year at Loyola, Sam J. Serio '16 hatched Loyola Academy's LA Tank program to inspire students to explore entrepreneurship while building relationships between Loyola students and alumni. His vision was to bring students and alumni together in a dynamic career program that encouraged Ramblers to embrace innovation and think differently about their future career paths. For more information about Loyola's LA Tank program or to get involved, contact Ashley Sanks '10 at asanks@loy.org.