The 25th Annual Innovative Idea Competition

Thursday, November 17thRegister

The 25th Annual Innovative Idea Competition
Live Pitch Event

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This year’s finalists come from six schools and colleges across Temple University and are innovating across a variety of industries. Take a look at the 10 finalists for the 25th annual Innovative Idea Competition.

The Innovative Idea Competition encourages the generation of innovative new products, services, and technologies from all 17 schools and colleges within Temple University which can become the foundation for new businesses. The competition is open to all Temple University students, alumni, faculty, and staff + offers $7,000 in cash prize packages! 

The Finalists

Find out more about the 10 finalists!

The Finalists

Watch

Watch the 2021 Innovative Idea Competition

Watch

Submission Resources

By completing the brief registration form below, you’ll learn more about our upcoming workshops, receive FREE mentoring on StartupTree, gain access to resources to help you with your submission, and get feedback on your idea with ESA members!

Submission Resources Folder

Read about competition eligibility and other helpful resources such as workshop slides and recordings.

Submission Resources Folder

25th Annual Innovative Idea Competition Submission Guidelines: there are six primary sections you must include in your submission, in addition to some general information on your venture and team. The reviewers and final judges will look to see how well you have addressed the sub-questions included for each section.

Submission Guidelines and Tips

Eligibility & Rubric

The Innovative Idea is open to Temple University undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, and staff from all 17 schools and colleges within the University.

Participants are encouraged to work in teams but may also enter as a solopreneur. The designated team leader must be a Temple University degree candidate (undergraduate or graduate), alumni, faculty, or staff, and the designated team leader must be part of the founding team.

Submissions may include a new or an existing idea/business, but companies submitting to the Innovative Idea Competition must be less than five years old as of September 1, 2022.

Existing businesses must be less than five years old; have gross sales less than $25,000; and have raised less than $5,000, including institutional funding from any accelerator programs, angel investors, venture groups, VCs, pitch competitions, foundations, or grants, as of September 1, 2022.

Eligibility Guidelines

For full eligibility guidelines and rules, click here.

Eligibility Guidelines

What do I need to do?

Review the submission questions and explain your idea and elevator pitch using the StartupTree submission portal.

Who is eligible to compete?

Undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and faculty/staff* Temple University’s 17 schools and colleges are all eligible and strongly encouraged to participate.

*Faculty/staff who advise student ideas are ineligible to compete. The selection committee reserves the right to determine when a conflict of interest exists.

Can non-profit company ideas participate in the Innovative Idea Competition?

For the Innovative Idea Competition, non-profit ideas are eligible; however, for the Be Your Own Boss Bowl® in the spring, non-profit companies are not eligible to participate.

Are there additional eligibility requirements?

Yes! Your idea must have earned less than $5,000 in competitions or raised less than $25,000 in capital.

Are there restrictions on how the award money from the Idea Competition has to be used?

No.

What mentoring benefits are available?

EI hosts two mentoring sessions leading up to the competition: Peer Mentoring with the Entrepreneurial Student Association (ESA) held October 12th, and Expert Mentoring held October 17th, two nights before submissions are due. Students and alumni are also welcome to sign up for individual mentoring sessions through the StartupTree Portal – https://temple.startuptree.co/login – just make sure to identify yourself with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute Looking for a different kind of mentoring or assistance? E-mail us at [click-for-email]!

How can I be assured that my idea is safe?

The Innovative Idea Competition honors the confidentiality of all participants’ concepts. Submissions will not be released or copied for any purposes other than use in the Innovative Idea Competition. The judges also recognize the sensitivity of the materials being presented. Moreover, all participants, reviewers, judges, and committee members are informed that the following is prohibited: Utilizing for commercial gain any material provided to Temple University specifically and restrictively for educational purposes without prior permission of the provider. As members of the Innovative Idea Competition, all participants, judges, and committee members should consider themselves bound by this code.

Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that could possibly enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged, or presented in these sessions.

Upcoming Events

The Finalists

Find out more about the 10 finalists!

The Finalists

RSVP NOW FOR THE LIVE PITCH EVENT

Thursday November 17th at 4:00pm

RSVP

The Innovative Idea Competition encourages the generation of innovative new products, services, and technologies from all 17 schools and colleges within Temple University which can become the foundation for new businesses. The competition is open to all Temple University students, alumni, faculty, and staff + offers $7,000 in cash prize packages!

No previous entrepreneurial experience is necessary to attend the workshops —just come with a desire to learn and a passion for creativity and innovative thinking! You do not have to enter the competitions hosted by the IEI to participate in any of the workshops or events hosted by the IEI!

Evolving Your Entrepreneurial Ideas

September 28th | 5:00 to 6:30pm | Virtual via Zoom

Understanding and Leveraging Your Competition

October 5th | 5:00 to 6:30pm | Virtual via Zoom

Peer Mentoring with the Entrepreneurial Student Association

October 12th | 12:00 to 1:00pm | 1810 Accelerator

Expert Mentoring

October 17th | 5:00-6:30pm | Virtual via Zoom

Become a Sponsor

Become A Competition Sponsor

Donate to the IEI Competition Fund to support Temple Owlpreneurs!

Become A Competition Sponsor

Become A Reviewer or Mentor

Join the IEI as a competition reviewer or mentor to a budding entrepreneur!

Become A Reviewer or Mentor

Learn More About Sponsorship

To learn more about sponsoring a track prize, competition prize package, or series of programming with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, check out our sponsorship packages.

Learn More About Sponsorship

Thank you to our current sponsors of the 25th annual Innovative Idea Competition!

$1,000 Digital Innovation Award – Sponsored by the Digital Innovation Foundry at Temple University.

Digital – The idea must apply technology in an interesting and/or novel manner
Problem – The idea must solve a real business or societal problem.
Practical –The idea must be practically doable given current technology, context, and resources.

$500 Global Innovation Award – presented by the Temple University Center for International Business Education and Research

Global – world-wide reach with their product or service and make a global impact
Innovation – new product or service with plans for exporting out of or importing into the U.S.

$500 People’s Choice Award – Presented by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and voted on by the live-viewing audience!

Join us in person or live on YouTube to vote for your favorite finalist!

Previous Winners

2021

AWARD	PRIZE AMOUNT	WINNER
Grand Prize	$1,500	Ethan Berg Fox School of Business ‘20
1st Place – Undergraduate Track	$1,000	Moo Solutions Noah Montierth College of Engineering ‘22
2nd Place – Undergraduate Track	$500	Avi I.T. Avi Knotts College of Science & Technology ‘25
1st Place – Upper Track	$1,000	Rally Max Reiff Beasley School of Law ‘21
2nd Place – Upper Track	$500	Ace Club Opeyemi Oyekanmi Fox School of Business ‘04
Global Innovation	$500	Moo Solutions Noah Montierth College of Engineering ‘22Rally Max Reiff Beasley School of Law ‘21
Digital Innovation	$1,000	Agora World Ethan Berg Fox School of Business ‘20LogicCxt Nathaniel Sloan Fox School of Business ‘22
Crowd Favorite	$500	PetBox Ghena Alkhalaf Fox School of Business ’22

2020

GRAND PRIZE

Healthy RFP
Eric Friedman – College of Science and Technology

Jon Vogel – Drexel University

Garrett Gillin – Drexel University

Colin Sholes – Beloit College

Upper Track

First Place: ArtFlip
Jona Shreeves-Taylor – Fox School of Business

Second Place: My Relief Wear, LLC
Mary McElya – School of Theater, Film, and Media Arts

Undergraduate Track

First Place

Indicative Absorbing Bandaid (IAB)

Angeli Sen – College of Engineering

Vendant Patel – College of Engineering

Marko Stankovic – College of Engineering

Michael Kyae Appiagyei – College of Engineering

Second Place

Koi Charging LLC

Daniel Cantando – Fox School of Business

Eric Yu – Fox School of Business

Crowd Favorite Award

Sanitime

Chloe Gehret – College of Science and Technology

Allyson Yu – College of Science and Technology, Tyler School of Art + Architecture

Global Innovation Prize

My Relief Wear, LLC

Mary McElya – School of Theater, Film, and Media Arts

2019

GRAND PRIZE

The Vegan Leather Co.
Zimri Hinshaw – College of Liberal Arts ’21

Upper Track

First Place: NeckUp
Nikita Patel – Fox School of Business ’20

Second Place: VacayAbility
Natasha Graves – Fox School of Business ’18

Undergraduate Track

First Place: Recibo
Elliott Fix – College of Engineering ‘20

Second Place: Gively
Adam Gasiewski – College of Science and Technology ‘21

2019 Global Innovation Winner

Versa
Gabriel Marte – College of Public Health ‘19

People’s Choice Winner

First Place: Dr. Pod
Kavya Sreeram – College of Engineering ‘20

Second Place: Gively
Adam Gasiewski – College of Science and Technology ‘21

2018

Grand Prize
PureTrip by Salman Alotaibi, College of Engineering ‘19

Global Innovation Prize
Athlete Crush by Thilo Kunkel, School of Sport, Tourism, & Hospitality Management

Upper Track:

1st Place:Invest Out by Tyrone Glover, Fox School of Business & Management ‘96

2nd Place: Miranda by Nikolas Revmatas, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

Undergraduate Track

1st Place: Mouse Motel by Paul Gehret, College of Engineering ‘19

2nd Place: Mailroom by Rahul Nimmagadda, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

Crowd Favorite

1st Place: PureTrip by Salman Alotaibi, College of Engineering ‘19

2nd Place: Mailroom by Rahul Nimmagadda, Fox School of Business & Management ‘19

2017

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Biomaterix, Emily Kight, College of Engineering ’18

Global Innovation Prize

Biomaterix, Emily Kight, College of Engineering ’18

Undergraduate Track

1st Place: C.A.L.M., Daniel Couser, Fox School of Business and Management ’18

2nd Place: VibraSoft, Kyle Jezler, College of Engineering ’19

Upper Track

1st Place: Immersive Therapy, Keith Regan, Fox School of Business and Management Alumni

2nd Place: QuickReCon, Alexander Garaschenko, Fox School of Business and Management Alumni

Crowd Favorite

1st Place: My Student Quarters, Jessica Rehrig, College of Liberal Arts Alumni

2nd Place: The Atheroprobe, Laura Navarro, College of Science and Technology ’21

2016

Grand Prize $2,500

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

1st Place Graduate, Faculty, Staff or Alumni $1,000

SensiFoam, Conor Vickers

2nd Place Graduate, Faculty, Staff or Alumni $500

Wearable Balance Device, Peter Agada

1st Place Undergraduate $1,000

Regenerative Suspension System. Christopher Ricci

2nd Place Undergraduate $500

Prohibere, Emily Kight

1st Place People’s Choice – Crowd Voted $1,000

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

2nd Place People’s Choice – Crowd Voted $500

Oscar the Grouch Matt McCormick

Global Innovation Prize $500

Pinpointer, Nigel Satenstein

2015

Grand Prize Award

Quick Stabilizing Carbon Stephen Peduto

Global Award

Pound Cake Camille Bell

1st Place, Undergraduate

Seed Dyes Tyler Stoltzfus

1st Place People’s Choice Award

1st Place, Graduate Ka Bom Designs Olawunmi Thomas-Quarcoo

2nd Place, Graduate

Myjé Severine Bandou

2nd Place People’s Choice Award 2nd Place, Undergraduate

Self-Stabilizing Gloves Sabrina Zouaghi

2014

Anne Nelson Grand Prize

Lia-Pregnancy Test Redesign Bethany Edwards, School of Media and Communications, 2006

1st Place, Graduate Faculty, Staff or Alumni

Roar for Good Yasmine Mustafa, Fox School of Business, 2006

2nd Place, Graduate Faculty, Staff or Alumni

Heart Upbeat! Cecilia Scimia, School of Medicine, Faculty

1st Place, UndergraduateSnow Dissolving Light Post Bradley Blosser, Fox School of Business

2nd Place ,Undergraduate

Bouyant Pile Sean Webster, College of Engineering

1st Place, People’s Choice Award

Roar for Good Yasmine Mustafa, Fox School of Business, 2006

2nd Place, People’s Choice Award

Lia-Pregnancy Test Redesign Bethany Edwards, School of Media and Communications, 2006

2013

Futura mHealth Award

GrassRoots Nicholas Horn, Fox School of Business

Retail & People’s Choice Award

Hook Kahn (Karen) Louise Miller, CHPSW

MADV Grand Prize Award

Genie Player Zhewei Zhang, Fox School of Business

PAC Strapping Award

Screw Up Michael Haley, Fox School of Business

ED Kane Award

City Brella Meng Hsuan Tsai, Fox School of Business

Joseph Weiss Award

WebTV Joe Doyle, Fox School of Business

Nancy & Bill Baxter Award

Greener Greens Michael Ward, Science & Technology

Fox School of Business

Innovative Idea Competition