Aspiring business owners flocked to the University of Iowa’s Iowa Memorial Union’s Black Box Theatre for the much-anticipated IdeaStorm, a pitch competition featuring creative concepts from UI students on Feb. 26.
The UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center organized the event giving student-led enterprises a chance to pitch their businesses for cash prizes.
Students from various areas of study could showcase their projects throughout the competition. As a hub for business education, the Tippie College of Business played a key role in engaging the entrepreneurial mindset among participants.
Numerous contestants were Tippie students or had used the college’s facilities, such as pitch workshops, company incubators, and mentorship programs, demonstrating the school’s dedication to practical business experience.
A panel of judges evaluated the pitches based on innovation, feasibility, and market potential. The competition featured diverse ideas, from technology and engineering ventures to proposals in the health industry aiding in the inclusion of children with disabilities in club sports teams.
Other pitches included UI fourth-year Megan Mindy’s business venture “Beyond Inclusion Co.” — a business that helps coach, train, and integrate athletes with disabilities into existing sports clubs.
Mindy currently works with the Iowa Flyers, or IFLY, swim team as a para-adaptive coach. Through this opportunity, Mindy has gained experience and learning opportunities to take her business to the next level, sharing her passion for inclusivity in recreational sports.
“In middle school and high school, I was involved in special games where all the schools around came together and allowed students with disabilities to compete,” Mindy said. “Right now, I am in the LEND program, which stands for leadership education in neurodevelopmental and related disabilities, so I am getting some experience working in the disability space right now.”
Also among the standout presentations was FlexiFlow, a venture focused on renters who are unable to install a pull-out faucet. This product is an attachable sink adapter, so renters can easily attach a pull-out faucet.
The idea was pitched by Linnea Rietz, a third-year UI student studying analytical economics with a certificate in public health. Rietz’s idea captivated the judges with her business’s potential.
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“It’s honestly a problem I face every single day, trying to bend the water to get all of my dishes clean,” Rietz said. “Fifty-six percent of Iowa City’s population is renters, so I know that a lot of people have the same issue.”
JPEC startup incubator coach Janice Baldes said the program tries to recruit students from across campus for the IdeaStorm event.
“Your average Joe can be an entrepreneur. It doesn’t have to just be someone who’s studying business or a student in the business college. Our job is to come alongside you and help you see if your business idea is valid and does it have product market fit,” Baldes said.
At the end of the competition, FlexiFlow was awarded first place, securing a $1,500 prize to help with startup needs and mentoring. Rietz is now working with coaches in the startup incubator to help take the next steps in getting her business off the ground. For many participants, the experience was more than just a competition — it was a stepping stone toward entrepreneurial success.
“I am planning to work with JPEC and their resources to help with my business idea. I will be pitching my idea to the engineering college and have them come up with some prototypes,” Rietz said. “I think that this will be a really cool opportunity for me as well as the engineering students that want to go into this sort of thing.”
Rietz is continuing to learn the different aspects of business, gaining the knowledge needed to grow the venture. Rietz explained this was not something of which she ever thought she would be a part. Rietz advises students to take that chance and reach out for help, even if they just have a small idea.
“If any student has a business idea, I would just take that chance because you don’t know what opportunities might come from it,” Rietz said.
Mindy hopes to continue finding opportunities to make an impact in the disability space upon her graduation this spring. Mindy said she never thought she would be pitching a business idea during her time at Iowa but advises students to get out there and try something new.
“Go into the competition with an open mind,” Mindy said. “It’s important to not go in there assuming that you know everything. Take that as an opportunity to go outside of your comfort zone and see what happens.”