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

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.

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