Simon Buhl often found himself grabbing his phone while studying to find an answer for a question and getting sidetracked into endlessly scrolling through social media apps and videos.
Buhl, a junior computer science major, knew other students likely suffered from the same problem, and wanted to build something that serves people rather than distracting them.
The result was CodeBrosAI, a tech company that that merges modern tech with older hardware. For example, Buhl retrofits TI-84 calculators into powerful, accessible AI devices that eliminate the distractions of smartphones.
“It connects to WiFi, gives students ondemand AI tutoring, and allows messaging to other AI84s, phones, and computers—without needing to open their phone,” Buhl said. “Our newest version of the AI84 has a camera that lets you take pictures with the calculator and upload those to AI. The goal is to help students learn more efficiently and stay focused.”
Buhl was recently awarded second place at the spring semester Vol Court Pitch Competition for his development of CodeBrosAI. Vol Court is an experiential learning program and pitch competition that walks student entrepreneurs through turning a unique business idea into a clear, confident, and compelling pitch.
“It felt great,” Buhl said. “For me, it wasn’t about winning or money—it was a reminder that this idea can genuinely help people.”
The Anderson Center, part of the Haslam College of Business, hosts the Vol Court each semester. The program includes three workshop sessions that guide participants through forming business ideas to giving succinct, effective elevator pitches. The workshops culminate in a pitch competition, with Vol Court’s $3,000 Roe Prize funds split between students with winning concepts.
In the fall semester competition, Josef Govednik, a senior computer science major, was awarded second place for HighHeat, a baseball pitching analytics tool that uses machine learning to track pitch movement and speed for amateur pitching development.
“At HighHeat, we believe our product can and will be developed, and that we will make a difference in baseball player development,” Govednik said. “Winning second place at Vol Court is a great vote of confidence in our mission and product, and a motivator for our developers and athletes.”
Buhl is grateful he took part in Vol Court and hopes the experience can serve as a springboard for his company’s future growth.
“I learned that clarity and purpose matter more than just the tech,” Buhl said. “It resonated with people when I talked about the AI84 as a tool to help students and reduce distraction. I also learned to be more confident in sharing my vision and to listen carefully to feedback.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)