Top college entrepreneurs are in Minneapolis pitching business executives and competing for $215,000 in cash prizes.
(Minneapolis, Mn) — April 26, 2022 — As start-ups surge across the country, some of the nation’s top college entrepreneurs are in Minneapolis this week pitching local business executives and competing to bring their ideas to life.
Twenty-five teams will participate in this weekend’s annual e-Fest competition for $215,000 in cash prizes and an opportunity to advance their ideas. The event is back in person at the University of St. Thomas’ Schulze School of Entrepreneurship in downtown Minneapolis for the first time since 2019 (the finals were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and held virtually in 2021).
“The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on our college campuses, and these talented students are creating fresh new ideas for solving problems that matter,” said Laura Dunham, associate dean of the Schulze School. “Competitions like e-Fest help these budding entrepreneurs hone the skills they learn in their courses and give them experiences they need to bring their ideas to fruition and be successful in the long run.”
Sponsored by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas, and EIX.org, e-Fest celebrates student teams who submitted the top business pitches in preliminary online competition. At e-Fest, teams compete in a Pitch Slam, an Innovation Challenge and the featured event, the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge. Judges include Twin Cities entrepreneurs and business executives. Top teams pitch in the finals to Best Buy founder and chairman emeritus Dick Schulze, serial entrepreneur Damian Novak, SportsEngine founder and Rally Ventures general partner Justin Kaufenberg, FACE FOUNDRIÉ founder Michele Henry and Allina Health CEO and President Lisa Shannon.
The 25 finalist teams are:
- AI-Learners, Cornell University
- Buzly, California State University of Sacramento
- Casgains Terminal, University of Chicago
- Chippit, Texas A&M University
- Conserve, Georgia State University
- DryvnAI, University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
- Fib, Portland State University
- Fit Oven, Florida Atlantic University
- Free. Project, Walsh University
- HydroPhos Solutions, University of New Hampshire
- Let’s Tap In LLC, Towson University
- Local4Local, University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
- Manser Edbrooke Technology, FAMU – FSU College of Engineering
- Nutroo.AI, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Pallyt, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Pet HealthCare Innovations, Florida Atlantic University
- Reboot Reforestation, University of Alabama
- RedBrick Entertainment, Wake Forest University
- RENNDVOUS, Towson University
- Resense, Grove City College
- Safe Sips, State University of New York at New Paltz
- Sav’s Syrups LLC, University of Northern Iowa
- SmartSeat, Grand Valley State University
- Sportwatch LLC, Western Michigan University
- Tandemly, Virgina Tech
The Schulze School at the University of St. Thomas is ranked by the Princeton Review among the top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. It cultivates the next generation of entrepreneurial problem solvers and innovators. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, as well as community resources to support new ventures, family businesses and corporate entrepreneurs.
