e-Fest Entrepreneurship Competition Returns In-Person to University of St. Thomas

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University of St. Thomas

Apr 26, 2022, 08:00 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As start-ups surge across the country, some of the nation's top college entrepreneurs are in Minneapolis this week pitching local business executives and competing to bring their ideas to life.

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The University of St. Thomas' Schulze School of Entrepreneurship will host some of the nation's top college entrepreneurs in Minneapolis this weekend for the annual e-Fest competition. It's the first time the event will be held in person since 2019 (the 2020 finals were cancelled due to COVID-19 and held virtually in 2021). Teams will compete for $215,000 in cash prizes.
The University of St. Thomas' Schulze School of Entrepreneurship will host some of the nation's top college entrepreneurs in Minneapolis this weekend for the annual e-Fest competition. It's the first time the event will be held in person since 2019 (the 2020 finals were cancelled due to COVID-19 and held virtually in 2021). Teams will compete for $215,000 in cash prizes.

Twenty-five teams will participate in this weekend's annual e-Fest competition for $215,000 in cash prizes and an opportunity to advance their ideas. The event is back in person at the University of St. Thomas' Schulze School of Entrepreneurship in downtown Minneapolis for the first time since 2019 (the finals were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and held virtually in 2021).

"The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well on our college campuses, and these talented students are creating fresh new ideas for solving problems that matter," said Laura Dunham, associate dean of the Schulze School. "Competitions like e-Fest help these budding entrepreneurs hone the skills they learn in their courses and give them experiences they need to bring their ideas to fruition and be successful in the long run."

Sponsored by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas, and EIX.org, e-Fest celebrates student teams who submitted the top business pitches in preliminary online competition. At e-Fest, teams compete in a Pitch Slam, an Innovation Challenge and the featured event, the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge. Judges include Twin Cities entrepreneurs and business executives. Top teams pitch in the finals to Best Buy founder and chairman emeritus Dick Schulze, serial entrepreneur Damian Novak, SportsEngine founder and Rally Ventures general partner Justin Kaufenberg, FACE FOUNDRIÉ founder Michele Henry and Allina Health CEO and President Lisa Shannon.

The 25 finalist teams are:

  1. AI-Learners, Cornell University
  2. Buzly, California State University of Sacramento
  3. Casgains Terminal, University of Chicago
  4. Chippit, Texas A&M University
  5. Conserve, Georgia State University
  6. DryvnAI, University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
  7. Fib, Portland State University
  8. Fit Oven, Florida Atlantic University
  9. Free. Project, Walsh University
  10. HydroPhos Solutions, University of New Hampshire
  11. Let's Tap In LLC, Towson University
  12. Local4Local, University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
  13. Manser Edbrooke Technology, FAMU – FSU College of Engineering
  14. Nutroo.AI, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  15. Pallyt, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  16. Pet HealthCare Innovations, Florida Atlantic University
  17. Reboot Reforestation, University of Alabama
  18. RedBrick Entertainment, Wake Forest University
  19. RENNDVOUS, Towson University
  20. Resense, Grove City College
  21. Safe Sips, State University of New York at New Paltz
  22. Sav's Syrups LLC, University of Northern Iowa
  23. SmartSeat, Grand Valley State University
  24. Sportwatch LLC, Western Michigan University
  25. Tandemly, Virgina Tech

The Schulze School at the University of St. Thomas is ranked by the Princeton Review among the top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. It cultivates the next generation of entrepreneurial problem solvers and innovators. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, as well as community resources to support new ventures, family businesses and corporate entrepreneurs. 

Media contact:
Andy Ybarra
(651) 962-6407
[email protected] 

SOURCE University of St. Thomas

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