Francesca Veltri won in the Best Early-Stage Startup category
May 2026 – Drew University student Francesca Veltri C‘26 competed in the statewide collegiate startup competition UPitchNJ, winning in the Best Early-Stage Startup category.
The competition, sponsored by Nokia Bell Labs, was held at Rowan University and included 13 colleges.
Veltri’s startup idea was inspired by her love of drawing while growing up, and she found that illustration made her feel happy and self-assured.
Her company, TrueLine, would offer a novel writing instrument that addresses the daily challenge children with motor control issues face when writing or drawing. TrueLine collects sensory and hand-movement data, then compensates for inconsistencies in hand movement.
As Veltri developed her idea over the course of the semester, she challenged herself to address both function and form; otherwise, students using TrueLine in the classroom would stand out compared to their peers.
In Drew’s The Work of Innovation: Creating Organizations That Solve Problems business course, students are asked to read Peter Thiel’s book, “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future,” and create a complete pitch deck around their business idea. Each student must outline a problem, complete with supporting data, and provide an innovative solution to address the issue. In addition, students develop a go-to-market strategy, revenue model, evidence of market validation, and a competitor analysis.
“Growing up, drawing always gave me joy and confidence,” said Veltri. “I believe that every child deserves the same experience. The idea behind TrueLine was never just about the product. Trueline is a way to give every child joy and confidence in their drawing and writing.”
During the competition, students had only five minutes to pitch their ideas, followed by a two-minute Q&A session with judges from Nokia Bell Labs.
“The Work of Innovation class gives Drew’s entrepreneurship students a unique opportunity to take a topic that is important to them and develop a startup idea around it,” said Ann Mills, professor of practice in business. “Their perspectives and life experiences often combine to surface consequential challenges in the world today, and students spend the semester trying to figure out how to solve them. Francesca’s startup idea is a perfect example of this process at its best.”
Veltri, a current intern at Bramnick, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC, will continue her work at the law firm after graduation in preparation for law school.
To learn more about the Drew business track, please visit here.
