Students clean up at entrepreneurial challenge

A summer job pressure-washing homes might be turning into a full-time future.

ECU student Sam Dewar and twin brothers Nick and Zach Willer won the Miller School of Entrepreneurship’s ninth Gene T. Aman Pirate Challenge with their company, Carolina Cleaning Boys – an outcome that has reshaped their plans after graduation.

“It could definitely become a real, full-time job,” Nick Willer said. “That wasn’t in the playbook a year ago, but things are changing now.”

The trio earned $50,000 in cash and roughly $60,000 in in-kind support, including legal, accounting and marketing services. A year ago, they expected their business to fade after graduation – Dewar pursuing financial advising and the Willers engineering careers. Now, they’re thinking bigger.

“If we can keep growing and scaling, eventually we want to franchise,” Nick Willer said.

The three met as ECU track and cross-country athletes and began working together a couple of summers ago, combining the Willers’ pressure-washing experience with Dewar’s background in landscaping. As profits grew, so did their ambition.

Last fall, Dewar enrolled in an entrepreneurship course with instructor David Mayo, who also directs the Aman Pirate Challenge. As part of the class, students were required to enter the competition.

“We really didn’t know about it before,” Dewar said. “That’s what got us started.”

Advancing through multiple rounds, the team refined its business model and expanded operations. They credit mentorship from the Miller School, particularly Sharon and Charlie Justice, for helping them transition from a side job into a scalable company.

“Sharon helped us develop from just making money to building something that could grow,” Dewar said.

Customer service has been key.

“By being more communicative and personable, we built relationships that led to referrals,” Dewar said.

“You have to treat people right,” Zach Willer added. “If you want long-term success, customer satisfaction comes first.”

All three will stay at ECU for graduate programs – Dewar in the immersive MBA and the Willers in accelerated engineering master’s programs – while growing the business. Prize money will help fund a new truck, upgraded equipment and additional hires.

The Aman Pirate Challenge awarded a total of $250,000 across six finalists. Simple Greek, a platform to streamline Greek life operations, finished second ($15,000), followed by healthcare AI assistant Clinic Wire ($10,000). Huddle Wealth, focused on student-athlete earnings, placed fourth ($5,000), with CarriOn, a roadkill recycling concept, fifth ($3,000). Mingle Maps, a dating app, placed sixth and earned an additional $5,000 award.

For Dewar, the experience has already paid off.

“When we started, this was just a side hustle,” he said. “But the support we’ve received at ECU showed us it could be something we take beyond college.”