The IDEA Challenge, the official kickoff to the McCloskey Competition season, took place on Tuesday, September 14th at Innovation Park. Students had 60 seconds to pitch their business or product idea to a crowd of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students and IDEA Center staff.
The 56 pitches included products and services aimed to solve a wide array of real world problems. Some ideas addressed challenges faced by the students themselves, while others focused on obstacles found outside the university.
After all the presentations, attendees voted for their favorite venture.
TOP PRIZE of $1000 went to Veronica Mendoza, a graduate student in the MBA Program. Her idea, The Better House, is an app that allows one to network with those who are looking for individuals with certain talents or skills for self development.
SECOND PLACE of $250 was awarded to ESTEEM student Zachary Baker for his innovative sunscreen system, Icarus Lives.
Additional winning pitches came from Alex Tullman, Lauren Spencer, Jimmy Grammig, Carlos Espinoza Banega, Chase Dixon, Rofy Okeyere-Forson, Terri Tran and Chizoma Duru.
To learn more about the McCloskey Competition, including how to enter by the October 25th deadline, visit ideacenter.nd.edu/se/opportunities/mccloskey-competition/.