ISU business students Camie Parsons and Gabby Kane were second runners up in the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge in Boise this weekend, winning $6,300 for their iuveni Duality project. (Photo submitted by ISU COB)
POCATELLO — A team of Idaho State University seniors from the College of Business returned from the Idaho Entrepreneurial Challenge in Boise with a first-place award and over $15,000. Three other teams from ISU also won awards over the weekend.
ISU’s College of Business students were one of eight university teams at the challenge, and they took four of the 11 awards that could be won. Their grand total of prize money came to $30,050.
“I am very proud of my students,” said Dan Cravens, director of Bengal Solutions at ISU. “All of the teams we sent to the finals were really strong. They gave honor to the school and provided clear examples of the quality of students that come from ISU.”
The Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge is a statewide venture competition. The contest offers opportunities for college students across Idaho to network, receive mentorship and funding for their business ventures.
The other Idaho universities that competed in the challenge included Boise State University, Brigham Young University — Idaho, University of Idaho, College of Idaho and others.
ISU took six teams to the challenge with four of their teams winning in different categories. The categories were agriculture/agriculture technology, health/healthy living, tech/consumer/service and social/cultural and environmental.
Each team had to pitch their business ventures to entrepreneurs from across the country. They had four minutes to pitch their ideas to three different groups of entrepreneurs. After the challenge, two of the ISU teams had interested investors wanting more information about their ventures.
“The cool part about this challenge was that we had a student member from every college on campus beside one,” said Jeff Street, associate professor at ISU and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. “It really became a campuswide event with tremendous participation from the students. It became evident that every college on campus is preparing students with a high level of professional performance.”
Wynderhub, the first place winner of the agriculture/agriculture technology category, is a tool that helps to tighten wire fences more quickly. This tool makes maintenance on fences much easier.
“It was really a good learning experience for our students,” said Cravens. “I don’t think many students have had their class projects turn into a $15,000 prize.”
The Wynderhub team will use their prize money to help start their business with their Wynderhub product.
Teams and prizes:
1st Place — $15,300: Wynderhub Students: Colby Borup, Miguel Rangel, EJ Lopez, Morgan Rasmussen and Mike Day.
Runner up — $6,300: iuveni Duality Students: Camie Parsons and Gabby Kane.
Runner up — $6,300: SpareSpace Students: Jonny Henderson and Tim Mohlke.
Best Marketing Display — $1,550: Turtle Back Technology Students: Thomas Brumpton and Jared Cantrell.
