Past Winners
Fall 2023 Grand Prize Winner
Evoli
Melan Shifa - Computer Science
View other fall 2023 winners View Less
2nd Place Winner
Gig Bridges
3rd Place Winner
The a.r.n.o.l.d.
project
People's Choice Winner
FLOCK
Spring 2023 Grand Prize & Ag/Food/Bev Division Winner
Fin's finest labs
Zachary Finholdt - Accounting
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2nd Place & People's Choice Winner
allergy aware
Brady Barr - '22 Finance Graduate
3rd Place & High Tech Winner
Louie labs
2022 Grand Prize Winner
USIL
Omar Elkenawy – Computer Engineering
After two years of a fully virtual Big Ideas Challenge, the event was back in person in 2022, the eighth year for this event. Rather than pre-recorded pitches, the five finalists once again presented in front of a live audience.
View the other 2022 winners View Less2nd Place Winner
Dr. Queen Bee
Sumit Mahajan – Mathematics Graduate
Qamrunnisa Fnu - MBA
3rd Place Winner
Elevatus
Skyler Smith – Twin Cities Integrated Engineering
People’s Choice & High Tech Division Winner
Dialekt
Autumn Ritter – Business Management
2021 Grand Prize Winner
Tocco VR
Jim Boyd - Engineering
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's Big Ideas Challenge was held virtually in 2021, the seventh year for this event. Six finalists competed during our highly attended event.
View the other 2021 Winners View Less2nd Place & High Tech Division Winner
Hearing Glasses
- Kaitlyn Gloege - Management Information Systems
- Abdelrahman Elkenawy - Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering
- Alex Shepherd - Computer Information Technology
3rd Place, Ag/Food/Bev Division & People's Choice Winner
Smart Beehives
- Abdelrahman Elkhatib - Electrical Engineering
- Sumit Mahajan - Mechanical Engineering
2020 Grand Prize Winner
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's Big Ideas Challenge was held virtually in 2020, the sixth year for this event. Six finalists competed during our highly attended event.
More LessOur winners for 2020
First Place, $5000 and people’s Choice, $2000: Logan Sendle, Lakeshore Potential
He advanced to the semifinalist round in the student division of MNCup (the largest statewide business plan competition in the US where the Student Division prize is $30,000).
Lakeshore Potential specializes in weed removal, landscaping, and beach restoration services to lakeshore residents using unique chemical-free techniques.
Where Are They Now
Lakeshore Potential had one of their best years ever in summer of 2020 with larger crews and more orders.
Second Place, $2500: Abelrahman Elkanaway, Alex Shepherd, Kaitlyn Gloege with Hearing Glasses
Hearing Glasses developed glasses designed for people with hearing disabilities. It’ll help anyone communicate between those with hearing disabilities and anyone without needing to know sign language or having a translator.
Where Are They Now
Hearing Glasses placed third in the semifinals of the Student Division of MN Cup 2020. They won Entrepreneurial Bridge ($5000) in 2020 and won the College Compact competition for $10,000. They continue to actively develop their business idea and to do research and development on their prototype.
Third Place, $2500: Sam Csizmadia, Csizmadia Lawn Care
CLC provides lawn care, landscaping, snow removal, and fertilization services.
For the first time in history, we had a tie between second & third place.
Where Are They Now
Csizmadia Lawn Care wrapped up one of their best financial years and over the winter, he is planning for growth for 2021.
Agriculture/Food/Beverage Division, $3000: Jaden Klingenberg, from Downed Duck
Downed Duck’s invention was a remote-controlled boat used for retrieving shot ducks from the water.
Where Are They Now
Downed Duck is actively working on building their manufacturing prototype to prepare for mass production.
“In the past six years, we have given away $70,000 to student startup businesses. Of the 34 presentations that have made it to the finals, 15 of those businesses are still in operation today. We have had about 112 community and alumni mentors and judges help to make this a terrific real-world learning experience for our students.”
The Big Ideas Challenge has been sponsored for each of the last six years by Lloyd Companies. Craig Lloyd is a 1972 graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. This year, the Agriculture/Food/Beverage Division prize was sponsored by All American Foods. Other generous sponsors were CrankyApe.com, BankVista and MN Valley Business Magazine.
We had 32 applications start the process, 20 that went into Round one for judging. A team of community, alumni, and faculty review and score the round one applications. No names or identifying information is given to the judges, just the ideas. The highest-scoring teams advance to Round two. In Round two, the finalists had to write a full business plan and then prepare a pitch and deliver it on stage on April 14, 2020. The combined plan and pitch scores from our judges determined the winners of all of the prizes except for People’s Choice (which was chosen by audience vote).
We encourage all students, from any major, to start thinking about THEIR Big Ideas for next year. Ideas don’t have to be high tech. Your idea could be a novel or play, it could be an idea to clean up the environment, it could be something that helps people with disabilities or a service for agriculture. Join other students at the Center and get help with developing your idea so you can be on stage next year.
2019
Grand Prize Winner
- 2True Headbands
Maggie Knier won $5000 for the best plan and pitch combination. She also competed as a Semifinalist in the MNCup Student Division Competition in October, 2019 and took third place.
Where Are They Now
2True Headbands has achieved revenues over $140,000 in 2020 and Maggie Knier continues to grow and expand her business. She made masks starting in spring of 2020 as well as her terrific headbands.
2019 Finalists
Hopynn - Second Place and People's Choice Winner
Where Are They Now
Hopynn is on hold. AJ Rana is currently working as a mechanical engineer at Tesla in the San Francisco Bay area.
EnduraMark L.L.C. - Third Place Winner
Wryng
CalcX Alpha
CEED Energy - Agriculture/Food/Beverage Division Winner
Where are they now? David Bassey is working to build his first prototype of the vertical axis wind turbine in cooperation with partners willing to let him connect it to their greenhouses in Mankato.
Balance - Agriculture/Food/Beverage Division Finalist
Where are they now? Balance disbanded when the team members graduated. Hannah Perez started her own social media marketing agency in Minnesota. Caelin Laakkonen is a Direct Support Professional at Harry Meyering Center.
2018 Finalists
Twin Cities Engineering Consulting- Best Business Plan and Overall Winner
Where are they now?
Twin Cities Engineering is taking orders for their EnduraMark recyclable and reusable marker and they are seeking help getting into large office supply distribution.
Messy Dog LLC
Where are they now?
Messy Dog continues to provide positive reinforcement dog training at their facility in the Old Town neighborhood in Mankato.
O - Cam- Best Pitch Winner
Where are they now?
Sherif and his partners are using the funds from the Big Idea Challenge to develop a functioning prototype of their camera and app.
Mobile Restock
Where are they now?
Michael continues to run Mobile Restock selling cell phones to a wide variety of customers while finishing his degree.
Cubic 3D LLC
Where are they now?
John presented his business at Big Ideas and at 1Million Cups Mankato. At 1MC, a developer offered him inexpensive space to do his additive manufacturing work. His business is operating in the Mogwai Collaborative in the Hubbard Building near the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Ag/Food/Beverage Division
Foober
Coconut Whisk Baking Co. - Ag/Food/Beverage Division Winner
Where are they now?
Bella and Myles started selling their baking mixes at Hy-Vee after winning in the Big Ideas Challenge. They sold out of all their product in their first two weeks on the shelves. They have expanded to Hy-Vee in Lakeville, MN and were vendors at the 2018 Twin Cities Veg Fest.
Bella was featured on the cover of River Valley Woman Magazine November, 2018.
They continue to donate 5% of their profits to animals and kids in need.
2017 Finalists (H5)
Hub:
Lauren Kramer, Katie Lloyd, Anthony Rathammer, Caleb Johnson and Ryan Hoehn
Where are they now? The Hub was built and opened by Dain Fisher in April, 2018 next to the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship based on the work done by this student team. Based on the team’s recommendations, it was opened as a Food Truck court and park. Learn more>>>
Messy Dog:
Alex Oldenburg
Where are they now? Messy Dog operated as a dog training and grooming business in Old Town in Mankato in 2018 and 2019. As of fall of 2020, she is operating Messy Dog full-time in Cedar Falls, IA. Learn more>>>
Primate Longboards:
Jackson Jones
Winner of Best Plan and People’s Choice by Primate Longboards
Where are they now? Primate Longboards was sold and Jackson continues to create with wood. His current business, Fingrprint, produces custom signs and other commercial products. Wooden Spoon, a Mankato bakery, and UNRL, a clothing company founded by a Minnesota State University Mankato student, are both clients.
Webytor:
Shahari Chowdhury and Connor Martin
Where are they now? Webytor provides website services to businesses in Mankato, MN and Bangladesh. The Hub food truck park and Mogwai Collaborative use their services. They are housed in the Hubbard Office Building. Learn more>>>
ProtoTec Solutions:
John Ruprecht
Where are they now? Prototech rebranded as Cubic 3D in 2018. They sell 3d printer filament, lease and service 3d printers to local companies and also do production and prototyping 3d printing. They are housed in the Mogwai Collaborative within the Hubbard Office Building. Learn more>>>
John joined the faculty of the Engineering Dept at Minnesota State University, Mankato teaching Parametric Modeling, Statics and Project and Value Management.
2016 Finalists
Dream Closet - Kylen Felts
Major: Marketing
Where are they now
Dream Closet is an active student charitable organization on the campuses of Minnesota State University, Mankato and Winona State University.
HomeFresh Personal Chef Services - Hannah Thompson
Major: Dietetics
Where are they now
Winner of the People's Choice in 2016, Hannah continues as a personal chef and active businesswoman. She was featured on the cover of River Valley Woman magazine in 2018.
Iron Range Maker Space - Andrew Hangemon
Major: Engineering
Where are they now
Winner Iron Range Maker Space has an 11,000 square foot facility operating in Hibbing, MN.
Northwood Industries - Kody Henning
Majors: Accounting and Finance
SeaJay Enterprises/ ourKINection.com - Charles Jennings
Major: Finance
Where are they now
Charles works as a programmer for Fun.com and continues to develop ourKINection.com in his spare time.
2015 Finalists
Mankato Pediatric Respite - Katie McDonald and Megan Chase
Majors: Nursing
TeleTox, Inc. - Fuad Gazal, Cynthia Ovadje, Emmanuel Adeyemi
Majors: Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Math, and Environmental Science Majors
VikasEd - Christina Tchatchouang, Ebrothie Charles Thiemele
Majors: Counseling & Student Personnel and International Business Majors
Gym Life - Anthony Ulrich and John Engelhart
Majors: Finance and Computer Science
911 Emergency Help - Mohammed Shahid
Major: Marketing
