Student entrepreneurs win $3,500 at business pitch contest
The University of Idaho College of Business & Economics awarded $3,500 in prize money to four teams during the fall 2016 Idaho Pitch competition on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Approximately 120 University of Idaho students pitched their business ideas to 40 judges during the annual competition. The contest allows student entrepreneurs to meet multiple judges, pitch their business or product idea, and have a conversation about how to move their ideas forward.
The $3,500 in cash prizes is sponsored by Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge.
The winning teams are:
• First place — The Grid Defender: A utility pole technology to reduce utility grid storm damage, $1,500. Team members: College of Engineering, seniors Austin Amrein, Shane Doll, Elizabeth Hernandez, Justin Puryear, Daniel Schlittler and Lexi Turkenburg; and College of Business & Economics, senior Joshua Brands and junior Helena Kirkland.
• Second place — Darwins Demons: A video game studio at UI that incorporates scientific ideas into video games: $1,000. Team members: graduate student Karl Hirning, junior Erick Lee, senior Kirsten Way and senior Joshua Yamamoto, all College of Businenss & Economics.
• Third place — Mining Machine: An automated mining machine that can mine precise veins of ore in a narrow manner: $500. Team members: senior Cooper Brooks, College of Business & Economics; and College of Engineering seniors Lane Matteson and David Elder Waters.
• Fourth place — Tiny House Community: Provides students an affordable and alternative way of living by renting a tiny house: $500. Team members: College of Engineering seniors Marius Schwarzmann and Bridger Hopkins.
The college will hold its spring Idaho Pitch contest on Friday, April 21, 2017, in the Idaho Commons Summit Conference Space, followed by the annual Business Plan Competition on Saturday, April 22, 2017, in the J.A. Albertson Building.
To learn more about the Idaho Entrepreneurs program visit www.uidaho.edu/idahoentrepreneurs or contact Idaho Entrepreneurs Director George Tanner at 208-885- 6475 or email gtanner@uidaho.edu.