At the Lundquist College of Business, innovation is in our DNA.
That’s why our Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship created the Oregon Innovation Challenge—an additional potential avenue for students across campus to begin their journey toward entrepreneurial success. Launched in January, more than 200 teams representing 60 different majors joined the Oregon Innovation Challenge pitch competition. During spring term, the top 16 were selected and awarded grants made possible by the generosity of Lundquist College donors.
The program guides students to resources like workshops, mentorships, and funding opportunities—including up to $10,000 to jumpstart their venture. During the 12-week program, teams are invited to book time with Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship staff, consult with volunteer mentors, and attend workshops to build upon their ideas.
The prize money awarded at the end of the term is intended to help teams take the next step, covering costs for patent applications, research and development, administration and operations, marketing, and more. In addition to their earnings, the funded teams join an eight-week summer fellowship cohort, where more training resources are available to continue building their ideas.
Check out the list of teams below to learn more about each of the 16 winning ideas receiving funding—and the undergraduate and graduate students behind them.
Undergraduate
Adam’s Brick Shop – Adam Turner
A shop made to 3D print custom parts that can attach to LEGO Minifigures.
Fugitive Worldwide – Julian Yue
An anti-corporate skateboarding-based clothing brand with a wide range of apparel.
GROW Supplements – Malcolm Karow
A pre-workout supplement brand that aims to give people a safer and healthier option.
Mandarina – Tamara Alarcon Basurto
A stylish and functional storage solution that keeps foods fresher, longer.
SPASMFINGERS – Nicholas Sogge
A brand that makes quality butterfly knives and butterfly knife accessories.
Seedlink – Camille Shelton and Isabelle Shilakes
An app for student entrepreneurs to connect people with skillsets their ventures require.
Feral Foods – Bretten Farrell
A premium freeze-dried foods company with high-quality meals that fit the consumer’s taste and dietary restrictions.
LoveHate Athletica – Jensen Barnes
A fashionable and functional athletic apparel brand aiming to provide comfortable clothing options.
VANA – Ivana Kundai Kapurura
A sustainable brand reusing textiles that might have otherwise been thrown away.
Fig and Bean Bakery – Finn Mifsud
A bakery that makes organic, gluten-free, and vegan food.
Graduate
ChangeFinder – Ian Winbrock
An AI technology platform designed to assist in writing and editing grants.
Hydroject – Justin Svendsen
A polymer that degrades when bacteria is present, working best with antibiotic delivery and aiding with antibiotic resistance.
Oryzi – Cass Gonzalez
A startup that uses mushroom fibers to create paper products.
Try Wine – Alex Hess and Colton Boeckman
A wine sampling kit that allows consumers to try different wine products in a box using special technology to prevent oxidization.
Viziwize – Jared Cassoutt and Preston Scheidt
A presentation and 3D modeling platform which uses AI to streamline the creation process.
Wild Pacific Foods – Laughton Elliott-DeAngelis
A ship-to-sales program that allows smaller fishing companies in Alaska to sell their fish directly to the consumer.
—Makenzie Fancher, MBA ’23