Emmanuel Nwokeabia, a 2024 graduate of GMU’s Costello College of Business, took home the $13,000 top prize at this year’s Patriot Pitch Competition for his startup, Viralbite. His platform connects content creators—especially those who already post food photos—with restaurants looking to promote their dishes. Instead of relying on follower count, Viralbite rewards users based on actual engagement.
“What sparked the idea was seeing how hard it is for influencers to earn from their content, while restaurants pay heavily for photos and videos,” Nwokeabia said. “I thought, what if we connect the two in a way that benefits both?”
