UNO Contest Lets Students Present Business Ideas

OMAHA – On Monday, Oct. 13, one dozen University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) students will present ideas for new businesses, live, to a panel of judges from the Omaha business community, including possible financial backers.

Earlier this week, several hundred students from across the UNO campus uploaded 60-to-90 second elevator pitches with the hopes they would make the final list of 12 presenters at UNO’s Big Idea! Elevator Pitch Contest, which will be held at 6 p.m. in Mammel Hall, 6708 Pine St.

The online contest was broken into four categories, allowing for student submissions from the College of Business Administration, Peter Kiewit Institute, College of Arts and Sciences; and then all other UNO colleges. The top three pitches in each of the categories, based on votes from the public, will were chosen for Monday’s live event.

A full list of finalists and project titles is included below.

At the event, students will share their ideas in 90 seconds or less for the chance to win a grand prize of $500 and a trip to Orlando, FL, to attend the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization national conference.

This is the fifth year UNO has held the contest, which is led by the College of Business Administration’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising.

Last year’s winners included a rewards system for UNO student involvement, a mobile app to track UNO shuttles as they make their routes, and an ingredient delivery system for when you are making a home meal and realize you forgot a key ingredient.

For more information on this year’s contest, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or 402.554.2129.

Contest Finalists

- Terri Armstrong
An app that will make being an educated voter/citizen easier

- Shelbi Kyler
Partnering food trucks with UNO

- Richard Gigak
Children's board game that celebrates the values of hard work, perseverance and compassion

- Aaron Galley
An app created to provide video instructions on at home assembly furniture

- Daniel Pachman
New system for UNO course evaluations to encourage more co-creation

- Alex Kuklinski
Standardizing the way people create and present instructional content online

- Rachel Ostrander
A software suite to help ranches manage their business and make better decisions

- Dustin Lair
A ladder to make your life and those lives around you function easier

- Hannah Olson
A line of plus-sized clothing that easily goes from the gym to everyday wardrobe

- Angel Loza
Mobile app aimed at colleges that will allow more student involvement

- Brian O'Rourke
A portable invisible fence run from a mobile application

- Tiffany Hottman
An app that creates free time slots to hang for your friends

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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