Four UTRGV students will move on to compete at the national level for a chance to win $10,000 after winning the fourth annual Big Idea Competition.
This “Shark Tank”-like event, hosted by the UTRGV Center for Innovation & Commercialization, saw ambitious UTRGV students and local entrepreneurs pitch innovative ideas for businesses, products and services. The end goal of of the competition is the top prize of $1,500 and the chance to move on to nationals.
From a pool of more than 70 total applicants, 20 were selected as finalists for two categories: one comprised of UTRGV students and the other of community members. After each finalist pitched their innovative idea to a panel of judges, the top three pitches were selected for each category.
Moving on to Nationals
Daisy Belmares, a junior and social work major, took first place ($1,500) in the student category. She advances to nationals as the top pick for the Consumer Products and Services special category ($1,000). Her pitch “Sharp” involves a portable and cordless device barbers can use to inhale loose hair safely and more effectively after a haircut, much like a vacuum.
As a social work major, Belmares says she was unsure at first whether it was worth her time to enter a business competition like this. After her experience, she expressed hope that other non-business majors would take advantage of opportunities like this at the CIC.
“I just want to say – if you have an idea, you should totally present it,” said Belmares. “There’s no downside to it and you could end up winning just like I did! So, I would totally encourage anyone who has an idea, no matter what your major or experience is, to step forward and say something. Maybe you can make something out of it!”
Second place in the student category ($750) went to Karla Medrano-Faz, a Brownsville marketing major and president of the American Marketing Association at UTRGV. Her pitch “Paplatos” creates environmentally friendly disposable plates out of potatoes. This idea also resulted in Medrano-Faz advancing to nationals in the special category of Social & Climate Impact ($1,000).
Jennifer Olivos, a Blackstone LaunchPad student ambassador from Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, took third place ($500) for her idea “OpalNopal Pinturas.” Her idea was the creation of unique and sustainable paint made from nopales (prickly pear cacti), sourced from local cactus growers. In addition to taking third place overall in the local competition, Olivos, a double major in Finance and Economics, also qualified for the national competition, taking the top slot in the general category ($1,000).
John Eberlein, double major in Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Science from Edinburg, was the final UTRGV student to qualify for nationals in one of the four special category awards – Health & Life Sciences ($1,000). His idea, “Salud del Suelos,” seeks to provide the lowest barrier to entry for the production of agricultural soil amendments (biofertilzer).
Each of these four UTRGV students qualified for the national Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition, where they will have the chance to win an additional $10,000.