By LYNN YANG
Tiger Media Network
The three-day EPIC Challenge took place last weekend on the FHSU campus, where 25 FHSU students representing nine different countries and a diverse array of degree programs participated in the competitive entrepreneurial showdown. Students on each team showed different ideas and thoughts and formed teams, brainstormed a project design, and prepared a final presentation,
Department of Management GTA Olamide Awosika said there was an increase in the number of entries this year compared to last year.
“I feel like everybody participated and everybody brought their best to it,” she said. “I saw people that put in work and were very intentional about not just the prize money, but also their ideas. This is nice.”
The Challenge not only provided a stage for students to showcase themselves but also equipped them with a number of experienced mentors. Under the guidance of the mentors, students experienced a fulfilling learning journey from creative conception to project presentation. Many participants expressed that they learned a lot from the event and that the mentors’ advice enabled them to improve the quality of their projects in a short period of time.
“This is my first time doing a business plan, and I’ve learned a lot just about business, presenting, and forming connections,” said Brock Jurging, a member of the second-place team. “It’s been a wonderful resource for me at the very least.”
The Challenge featured coaches, who were there to assist participants with their ideas. Coaches included Ed Vengrouskie, Luciana Aires, Diana Angarita, Thomas Lippert, Kunal Sevak and Weihui (Tina) Wei.
“I definitely think the coaches really helped us develop our idea further and make it a little bit more innovative, as well as we had a grad student that came by and helped a lot with our finances where we were really struggling,” said Haiti Schafers, a member of the third-place team.
The coaches helped in all aspects of the competition, including developing ideas for the product being pitched.
“They really help us doing the financial part of the project,” said second-place team member Bruno Guggiari. “They help us with the idea. Actually, the idea of the gummies was from one of our coaches, Luciana, who is from Paraguay. She really helped us there to get the scope that we wanted.”
During the competition, the main criteria used by the judges to determine the final result included the practicality of the project and the passion demonstrated by the team.
“What helped us make that decision is looking at the specific presenters and understanding, did they give us the sense that this was something they really wanted to do, they had a passion towards, that this money could be well utilized,” said event judge Ethan Lang. “And then business specifics. Is it a great idea, but will it financially work in the marketplace?”
Lang praised the teams for their creativity and professional performance.
“I would say it’s just always awesome to see how great ideas can be formulated just in a weekend,” he said.
He also commented on future contestants, saying the biggest piece is ultimately just taking it as a learning experience.
“This is just one step on a long journey, and students coming in here and being vulnerable and presenting ideas is the first step to building what they want to create,” he said.
Michael Gallagher, a member of the team that won the Founder’s Price Award, also has advice for future competitors.
“If we have an overabundance of teams and even if some of them lose, then there’s still the experience that they gain,” Gallagher said. “Like Henry (Scwhaller) and Ed (Vengrouskie) talked about, there’s a certificate for everybody, and it looks great on resumes. It can get them good job opportunities.”
Event award winners and summaries of pitches
First Place ($2,500)
Empower Connect-Counseling, workforce training and placement resource domestic violence survivors.
Team Members: Niya Gaines、Miguel Fermin、Fiorella Mendez & Shreethika Vangala.
The Empower Connect team is committed to building a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resource support and life-rebuilding services to survivors of domestic violence. Through life skills training, vocational education and counseling, it helps victims regain their confidence and independence and provides a safe space for them to relax and recover. It aims to improve the lives of victims and promote sustainable economic and social development in the community through partnership. The main sources of funding are grants and donations.
Gaines said the team’s initial idea was broad and it was unanimously decided to focus on the topic of domestic violence. This choice was made not only because domestic violence is so prevalent in today’s society and needs to be addressed but also because she grew up in a violent environment.
“Especially with my background coming from being in houses and surrounded by violence, it definitely hits a hard string for me,” she said. “As a former employee of the DuPage County Health Department, I understand the ins and outs of the Behavioral Health Center, the crisis line, how it works, and what resources survivors may need. Just where I know I can give back.”
Vangala mentioned her proudest moment being part of the winning team.
“I would say the team that we’ve built and the work that we’ve done. It made us stronger,” she said. “We started in a really bad start, and then we got to this point in less than a day, which I’m like, was really good. “
Second Place ($1,500)
MAVI-Mango-based vitamin supplements
Team Members: Irina Alfonso、Bethan Gill、Bruno Guggiari、Ines Latorre & Yone Pereiro
MAVI is committed to solving the problem of 75 tons of mango waste per year in Paraguay by producing multivitamin products through the extraction of vitamins from the mango peel. These products are rich in antioxidants and vitamins to help strengthen the immune system and are suitable for health-conscious and environmentally friendly consumers between the ages of 18-60 years old. MAVI is committed to reducing the environmental problems associated with mango waste while bringing natural health products to the South American market through the reuse of resources.
Guggiari, from Paraguay, mentions why he thinks this pitch would be viable.
“It’s a living area where we experience a lot of bad smell and a lot of flies because of the problem with the mangoes,” he said. “The mangoes start to rot and that generates the flies and the bad smell. So it’s a bad image, a bad picture from our country too, because it looks like garbage. But actually, mango is one of the most beneficial fruits in the world. So, we want to take advantage of that waste. To recycle those products.”
On turning business ideas into reality， he said that with more motivation and coming back to our country to see how the situation keeps going, it can be done.
Third Place ($500)
OmniFlow-Kinetic-powered insulin pump
Team Members: Hannah Caycedo、Brock Jurging、Yang Liu、Haiti Schafers & Megna Zhao
The OmniFlow team wanted to design and develop a wearable medical device that utilizes kinetic energy to power an insulin pump to help people with Type 1 Diabetes manage their insulin supply. By capturing kinetic energy from daily activities and converting it into electricity, the device is not only environmentally friendly but also avoids the safety risks associated with traditional lithium batteries. The OmniFlow not only technically integrates a kinetic battery system but is also equipped with a portable nursing app that displays insulin levels in real time to support patients in monitoring and managing their diabetes. The device is equipped with an emergency detection function. If hypoglycemia occurs and leads to loss of consciousness, the system will automatically send location information and critical data to 911 via Rapid SOS, buying the patient the best time to rescue the patient.
Their team considered the lack of a way to recharge the device’s batteries when they needed to be used, as well as the potential for fire.
Jurging recounts how he has two friends with Type 1 Diabetes, one of whom nearly died because she didn’t have a charger for her insulin pump.
“It’s really worrying that if there’s no one around to help you, you could die from hypoglycemic shock,” he said.
Schafers said they are especially worried about children.
“They have to deal with such a struggle at such a young age,” Schafers said. “But if you could just move your arm and your battery was charged, then that was no longer a risk that you had to worry about.”
Liu said he and his teammate Zhao don’t have events like this in China.
“This activity is very interesting. The other teams were very flexible in their performance and thinking and came up with something out of the ordinary,” he said. “When working as a team, they were efficient when working together, and the atmosphere was great.”
Founder’s Price ($500)
Resource Encounter-App connecting small business owners with service providers
Team Members: Michael Gallagher、Sarah Jones、Lincoln Myers、Chloe Nelson & Chelsie Rose
The Resource Encounter team has come up with an online platform that aims to connect small businesses with the professional service providers they need to find critical services such as accounting, legal, and so on. Resource Encounter enables efficient resource matching by separating the “Provider” and “Seeker” categories of users. Service providers can display their business information on the platform and increase their exposure through sponsored ads, while business owners seeking services can quickly find a service provider that meets their needs and pay a connection fee to establish a relationship. The platform focuses on providing accurate matchmaking and personalized recommendations to meet the specific needs of small businesses.
Gallagher spoke about the source of his idea.
“I came up with the idea after a dialogue with doers. In my own business, I make shirts and clothing, and I’ve been having trouble finding manufacturing,” he said. “What if there was an app that had all of the resources everyone could need? Easy access for a little bit of a fee.”
It was from this idea that he gradually developed a complete entrepreneurial conception.
Best Idea ($250)
Heat Halo-Robotic firefighting device for prairie fires
Team Members: Wyatt Baker、Isaiah Michael、Caleb Morgan、Jonathan Thaden & Htet Win
Heat Halo, an AI firefighting robotic system, utilizes AI to identify fires and dynamically adjust the robot’s position to automatically control the scope of foam spraying to protect buildings and facilities, especially in remote or high-risk areas and responds quickly to fires through real-time monitoring and automatic protection systems. The intelligent foam spraying creates a barrier between the fire source and the protection object to prevent the fire from spreading.