The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Entrepreneurship hosted its 37th Annual New Venture Competition on April 16 and 18, a business plan pitch event with $65,000 in cash prizes. 48 teams representing the university’s nine colleges and 44 majors competed. In the bracket format, 2% Football’s Eduardo Sicilia Ayala took first place and won $15,000 in prize money.
Cicilia Ayala, a Clifton Builders senior management and marketing major from Cancun, Mexico, founded a startup as a freshman and has consistently participated in and contributed to the university’s entrepreneurial community. 2%Football provides scouting reports for soccer teams in the United States and Mexico. His recommendations included integrating artificial intelligence into the reporting process to further automate and scale the startup.
2nd place ($12,500) — FuturHerd Solutions, Brooke Parrish, animal science graduate student from Elmwood, Illinois. FuturHerd Solutions is a livestock technology startup that addresses common challenges for managers and features child care nanny robots.
3rd place ($10,000) — TeachFront, Lena Rankas, a sophomore computer science major from Lincoln University, and Peyton Peck, a sophomore computer science major from Overland Park, Kansas. The students in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management aim to provide educators with the tools to conduct proficiency assessments in the classroom.
4th place ($7,500) — InfoFilm, Madison Kreifels, junior agricultural and environmental science communication major from Syracuse. InfoFilm is an agricultural communications business with a vision to reverse the growing knowledge gap between the agricultural industry and consumers.
Former New Venture Competition finalists Brooke Bode and Cattle Kettle, Bridget Peterkin and Tristan Card and Dyslexico, Machi Wilson and INFR (former Beacon pitcher), and Abby Miller and Pat On.・Tap participated in this bracket.
The judges awarded the $15,000 prize to: pat on tapa mobile bar and photo booth that can be used for a variety of gatherings in Omaha, Lincoln, and surrounding areas.
“I really value people and the moments we spend together,” said Miller, a senior animal science major at Mead College. “As I am a photographer, I have the opportunity to go to a lot of events and now I host tap trucks and turn them into amazing events. Our company is currently expanding our fleet of Nebraska’s first water trucks and We are expanding our operations in the Midwest.”
Students prepared for the competition using the center’s services. Her 60% of the team consulted with the center’s faculty through workshops, one-on-one coaching, or classes.
