Finalists Announced for the 2022 Monfort College of Business Entrepreneurial Challenge
February 16, 2022
The Monfort College of Business (MCB) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) has announced the finalists in both the Collegiate and Open Divisions for the 2022 Entrepreneurial Challenge. Each finalist will present their business concept to a panel of experts, get actionable advice on how to move their business ideas to the next level and compete for a share of $25,000 in prize money.
Finals will take place on March 9, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., inside UNC’s University Center. The event is free to attend and open to the public.
The six finalists from the Collegiate Division are:
- Blue Path
Blue Path is a phone application that connects students with the campus police department when walking on campus. A student would open the Blue Path app and choose the on-campus location they were heading to. The app would connect the student to the university police to be monitored on their walk. The police department would be able to track the student’s location and velocity changes on the app.
- Submission Nutrition
We provide organic, all natural, nutrient-dense foods, snacks and supplements designed to help fuel combat athletes. Currently, we offer five delicious flavors of overnight oatmeal. We will expand into nutrition bars, granola, trail mixes, cooking spices and all natural super food based supplements.
- Your Pianist
The restrictions imposed by the current pandemic were huge. In music, for instance, they impacted rehearsals, lessons, recitals and many other kinds of music making. Therefore, this idea aims to provide piano lessons and piano accompaniment to music students through a subscription service.
- Kandiwhere
Kandiwhere is a company dedicated to connecting friends and loved ones at large social gatherings where cellphone service is nonexistent. Using ultrawide band radio technology, each one of our kandi bracelets will be able to track and navigate you towards your friends and loved ones. We aim to improve every attendee’s experience and safety, while providing a unique and fashionable way to stay connected.
- Audition Advocates
Audition Advocates provides free college audition coaching services to students in the Denver-Metro area who are BIPOC students from underfunded areas or students from low income families. Our students would have sponsors who would help fund their professional coaching and mentoring sessions as well as help aid the fees of auditions and applications. Audition Advocates will help bridge that gap and promote the diversification and equitably of the theatre world.
- Eclecticism
Eclecticism is truly an organization built by the community. Its aim is to provide a more sustainable and affordable alternative to traditional means of clothing in an attempt to reduce global waste. What sets Eclecticism apart from other clothing companies is each time an item is purchased, 50% of the money go toward an organization that helps repair the environment.
The five finalists from the Open Division are:
- RD Flows
RD Flows is creating a marketplace to connect academic institutions with businesses looking to outsource their research and development. RD Flows looks to help standardize academic research and develop a pipeline connecting businesses in need of research equipment with underutilized university lab equipment. Standardized research pipelines let businesses leverage a network of university assets, conducting their research and ensuring consistency in results, regardless of a multitude of variables.
- GelSana Therapeutics
GelSana Therapeutics is addressing this need with its proprietary wound healing hydrogels that help heal tissue significantly faster and without the downsides of today’s dressings. Our strategy is to develop this superior line of wound dressings, introducing our first product under a medical device classification. Future generations of GelSana products can include drugs which are released over time, as these hydrogels have a demonstrated ability to continuously deliver therapeutics, and we have demonstrated in animal studies that diabetic wound healing time is cut by 1/2 with drug-laden hydrogels.
- Slick Tools
The Solar industry has developed rapidly in the last decade, but installers are still using generic construction tools for their projects. Slick Tools is developing specialty tools for solar professionals to provide them with the right tools for the trade. Currently, they are the industry leading expert in Animal Guard, focusing on residential solar, but are planning to expand into all three solar sectors (residential, utility, commercial) in the future.
- Sarus Lifting
Sarus develops software for crane companies and construction companies to streamline their lift planning process, saving them time and improving onsite safety through higher accuracy, improved communication and access to better data.
- Horizon Verjus
Verjus (French for “green juice”) is the non-alcoholic, highly acidic juice of unripe wine grapes.Traditionally, verjus has been produced in small quantities by French vineyards and distributed locally. Verjus production has yet to gain a substantial foothold in the United States. However, with the growth of the farm-to-table movement in the kitchen and behind the bar, they believe the market is ready to embrace a locally made, eco-friendly ingredient.
For more information on the Entrepreneurial Challenge: https://mcb.unco.edu/e-challenge/.
