Jeff Marine Bull Ring Competition

Congrats to our 2026 prize money winners:

1st Place ($10,000) +
Audience Choice Winner ($1,000)
Grain
Carl Fassberg (CSUN Nazarian College - Marketing Major), Skyler Gommeren (CSUN Mike Curb College - Film Production Major), & Stefan Juganu (CSUN Andrew J. Anagnost College - Computer Science Major)
Grain is a streaming platform that enables independent filmmakers to self-distribute and earn a profit from their films.

2nd Place ($5,000) 
Vylist
Michelle Montalban (CSUN College of Social and Behavioral Sciences - Graduate Student in Sociology) & Kevin Payumo (USC - Computer Science)
Vylist is a secondhand clothing marketplace that provides resellers with the fastest way to list inventory at scale — by running inventory walkthrough videos through AI that automatically extracts each item's size, description, price, and catalog-ready photos.

3rd Place ($2,000)
listabid
Kamyar Sepanlou (Nazarian College - Financial Analysis Major) & Kailo Owhadi (Indiana University - Computer Science)
Listabid is a prop-tech startup where home sellers post their properties and realtors compete against each other via their commission rates while showcasing their past experiences to allow the sellers to select the best realtor for the sale of their home.

Social Impact Award ($1,000)
VoucherReady
Bailey Simien McKee (CSUN College of Social and Behavioral Sciences - Sociology Major) & Yeri Rodriguez (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences - Psychology Major)
VoucherReady helps Section 8 voucher holders successfully lease apartments by organizing documentation, coordinating inspections, and supporting landlords, turning unused vouchers into signed leases and reducing housing instability.

Best Use of Technology Award ($1,000)
PolicyProof AI
Devashish Arora & Sumedha Uppal (both CSUN Andrew J. Anagnost College - Computer Information Technology Majors)
Policy Proof AI helps cancer patients - already fighting for their lives - overturn wrongful insurance denials using the same evidence the system used against them.

Christina Ketsoyan 
VP, District Manager, US Bank
Christina Ketsoyan is District Manager and Vice President at U.S. Bank, overseeing 14 retail branches and 92 employees in the San Fernando Valley area of Greater Los Angeles. She joined the bank in 2004 after earning her MBA from San Francisco State University, following a part-time teller role that launched a 22-year banking career. Emigrating from Armenia in the mid-1990s, she is a passionate community leader who volunteers in the SFV since 2003, teaches financial literacy in low-income schools, and supports local business growth through The Valley Economic Alliance. 

Frank Leon
Multi-Concept Restaurateur
Frank Leon is a veteran LA restaurateur of Ventura Boulevard’s dining scene in Studio City. A Costa Rican immigrant who arrived in the U.S. at 17, he began at La Loggia Ristorante nearly 35 years ago and later purchased the iconic spot. He has launched Next Door Tapas, Ceremony Bar, The Village Gastro Pub, and partnered on Leona’s Sushi House, which earned Michelin Guide recognition months after opening in 2022. A dedicated philanthropist, he lives in Toluca Lake with wife Margarita and their four children while supporting local and international causes.

Harvey Bookstein
Partner, Armanino LLP
Harvey Bookstein is a founding partner of RBZ LLP (now merged with Armanino LLP) and a senior partner focused on real estate, tax, estate planning, and business consulting. A 1970 CSUN B.S. Business Administration graduate, he has over five decades as one of California’s most respected certified public accountants. A dedicated philanthropist and community leader, he and his wife Harriet donated millions to CSUN’s Nazarian College of Business and Economics, resulting in the naming of Bookstein Hall. He has guest lectured, mentored hundreds of students, and received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate from CSUN.

Brian Diamond
Founder and CEO, Diamond Landscaping
Brian Diamond is the Founder and CEO of Diamond Landscaping, which he established in 1991 after studying Landscape Design at UCLA. Under his leadership, the firm has become Los Angeles’ largest residential landscape provider and the fourth largest nationwide, serving a prestigious clientele of A-list celebrities and entertainment executives. A dedicated civic leader, Diamond has served as a GLAZA Trustee since 2012, including a term as Board Chair. Currently in his eighth year as an Oakwood School Trustee, he chairs the institution’s landmark $70 million Capital Campaign.

Paul Jennings
Principal and CEO, PCS Energy
Paul Jennings launched his first venture selling long-distance plans as a CSUN student, building it into the country's third-largest inmate telephone provider before founding PCS Energy, LA's largest commercial solar provider. Through the Jennings Family Foundation, he remains a dedicated advocate for education, sustainability, and supporting students with learning disabilities. His $1 million endowment for entrepreneurship at CSUN demonstrates his commitment to helping students transform their own bold ideas into successful ventures that can change industries and communities.

Wendy Greuel
Advisor, Board Member, Civic Leader
Wendy Greuel is a dedicated public servant and politician from Los Angeles, known for her extensive career in public service. Wendy is most notably known for being the second woman to be elected to a citywide office in Los Angeles, serving as City Controller from 2009 to 2013, and the first woman to be a runoff candidate for Mayor. Greuel continues to contribute to public service through various boards and commissions, including the LAHSA Commission, the LAUSD Task Force, and as an Executive in Residence at the CSUN Nazarian College.

We are profoundly grateful to the mentors and coaches who volunteer their time and expertise to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and problem-solvers:

Alan Sugano
Andi Mysza
Asbed Kassis
Avetis Antaplyan
Brian Frankel
Daniela Corrente
Danny Stein
Darren Elliott
Elsa Burton
Emily Serebryany
Fran Guzman
Gerald Anderson
Jang Lee
John Ko
Kevin McVearry
Kevin Meredith
Loren West
Marshall Smith
Michael Letson
Paul Mazbanian
Sylvia Martini
Tora Brown

Shark Tank Meets Matadors - $20K in Prizes!

Build your ideas, connect with mentors, and plug into the startup community this Spring! Get access to free workshops, dedicated mentoring and coaching sessions - all designed to guide you through the startup process, from idea to launch. Whether you have a seed of an idea and looking to explore it further, or have already put substantial work into your concept, the competition is a great way to learn more about the entrepreneurial process and receive critical early-stage feedback and advice. All CSUN student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures are welcome.

The Bull Ring has been made possible thanks to the generous support of our founding and continuing donor, Jeff Marine and his family. Please see below for full competition schedule, additional details, and eligibility.

Prizes

Grand Prize: $10,000
2nd Place: $5,000
3rd Place: $2,000

Additional awards:
Audience Choice: $1,000
Social Impact Award: $1,000
Best Use of Technology: $1,000

$2,500 of legal services (courtesy of NovusGC) and $2,500 in creative/branding services (courtesy of IntersectLA) will also be offered to each of the top 3 teams.

Additional funding available over summer!

2026 Competition Schedule
 

Sunday, March 1st
Application Deadline

Friday, March 6th
20 Semi-Finalist Teams Announced

March 9th onward
Coaching & Mentoring Period

Friday, April 3rd
5 Finalist Teams Announced

Thursday, April 23rd
Bull Ring Final Event

Application Details

Applications were due Sunday, March 1st, 2026 and required:

(1) a 10-25 page slide deck *or*
     5-7 page executive summary, AND

(2) a video not to exceed 2 minutes.

The Fine Print: Rules & Eligibility

1) The competition is open to ALL current CSUN students.

2) The competition is intended for student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures.

3) Teams must be comprised of at least 2 members.

4) At least 50% of team members must be current CSUN students as of the 2025-2026 academic year (Fall 2025 graduates eligible). The "pitch" must be delivered by a CSUN student.

5) Businesses currently earning >$15K in annual revenue are not eligible.

6) Businesses that have already raised >$50K in investment funding from outside sources are not eligible.

7) Both for-profit and non-profit business concepts are eligible; however, sources of revenue must be addressed.

8) An individual may only be a member of one team.

9) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from past Bull Ring Competitions are not eligible.

The 10th annual CSUN Jeff Marine Bull Ring New Venture Competition concluded on April 24th, 2025. For information, please view the press release here, the final event program here, and photo gallery here.

We would like to honor and formally thank the Marine family for their support and generosity in making this competition a reality. Both born and raised in Los Angeles, Joni and Jeff Marine are deeply passionate about elevating the educational opportunities available to children in the greater L.A. area. The family’s philanthropy has also led to the creation of the Alliance Joni and Jeff Marine High School, which opened in 2017 in Sun Valley. The school brings rigorous college-preparatory instruction and powerful learning experiences through interdisciplinary projects and integration of real-world applications. Jeff and Joni have three daughters, Jenna, Jillian, and Jaslin, all three of whom attended the University of Michigan studying Political Science, Art History, Film, and History.

If you have additional questions, please contact Ryan Holbrook, Entrepreneurship Program Director at the Nazarian College at: ryan.holbrook@csun.edu