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BigIdea! Pitch Contest

Showcase your innovation or brilliant business idea!

Enter to win $500 and a trip to the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida!

Enter the 2019 BigIdea! Pitch Contest

The 2019 BigIdea! Pitch Contest will take place October 8 & 15. 

  • 1st Place: $500 and a trip to the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida!
  • 2nd Place: $250
  • 3rd Place: $100

Contest Details

Any UNO student with an innovative and original idea is invited to participate in the 2019 BigIdea! Pitch Contest!

The contest will begin on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 3:00 PM in the Mammel Hall Atrium. Participants will be given 90 seconds to pitch his or her big idea to a panel of judges. Following the pitch there will be a Q&A session for up to 5 minutes. Please see 2019 BigIdea! Pitch Contest Rules and Instructions for more information regarding the rules of the contest. 

Following the completion of the first round, finalists will be selected and invited to participate in the final round on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 6:00 PM in the Mammel Hall Auditorium. The final round will be open to the public. 

2018 Big Idea! Pitch Competition winner, Ly Phan, with Levi Cermak and Dr. Dale Eesley

2018 BigIdea! Pitch Contest Winners

First place for the 2018 BigIdea! Pitch Contest, hosted by the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Franchising on October 9, 2018, was awarded to Ly Phan, a business administration major from Vietnam. The first place winner received a $500 check and an all-expense paid trip to the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Pitch Competition in Kansas City. At CEO Nationals, she placed in the top 16 out of the other 80 competitors that made it to Nationals.

Her business concept is NailedIt – a management system for nail salons in the form of an app – benefits nail technicians, salon owners, and customer. It would increase efficiency of communication between salon owners and nail technicians while allowing customers and technicians to build rapport. Additionally, it will allow customers to see ratings and performance reviews of salons and technicians, allowing for a seamless experience from all angles.

First runner-up was awarded to Michael Mazgaj and his Hollar Scholar idea. Hollar Scholar is an audible abstrated service that aids researchers in maximizing their time in digesting literature.

Second runner-up was awarded to Suzy Fendrick and her Chorie idea. Chorie is an app that is described as "Hudl meets choreography and dance."

2018 National CEO Pitch Competition Recognition

Along with Ly Phan, Michael Mazgaj also represented UNO CEO at the 2018 National Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization Pitch Competition. Michael Mazgaj is an MBA and IT Innovation graduate student and he placed in the top 16 with his idea, Hollar Scholar.

More Information

For more information about the 2019 BigIdea! Pitch Contest, please email Connor Berg: cberg@unomaha.edu