Joaquin Estevez ’20 Places Third in Drexel University Rising Starters Pitch Competition

Pictured, L to R: Donna De Carolis (Dean of Drexel University’s Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship), Joaquin Estevez ’20, Roger Lee (Rising Starters Program Manager and Drexel Adjunct Professor).

On December 9, Joaquin Estevez ’20 won third place and a $1,000 prize at the 2019 Drexel University Rising Starters Competition, in which students from Greater Philadelphia independent schools present an idea for a business before a panel of judges. This year’s judges included CEOs and business partners from Giant Food Stores, Agile Therapeutics, and Academy Asset Management.

Joaquin’s business idea, Quix, is an app to expedite the process of buying and selling luxury sneakers on the secondary market. Joaquin’s concept prioritizes faster shipping and a reworked fee system, with a loyalty program to reward repeat customers. 

“On seller platforms like Ebay, the seller fees are always above 10 percent,” Joaquin explained. “There’s also stock exits and processing fees. I feel like I’m doing so much work to get a sneaker.” One of Joaquin’s solutions involved setting a 10 percent maximum seller fee, which drops over time (to as low as 7.5 percent) based on customer purchase volume.

Joaquin worked with Middle School History Teacher Jake Greenberg to develop his pitch. Mr. Greenberg expressed admiration for Joaquin’s preparation and strategies: “He didn’t start with the solution, he started with the problem. Researching what investors want to hear and what’s an effective pitch deck — these are skills that he’s taking away from this.”

Mr. Greenberg also noted Joaquin’s personal interest in the project as a driver for his success. “The judges bought into Joaquin and that passion,” he said. “It’s not just about a dynamic presentation — it’s in the voice, the message, and the story that you told.”