real-world classroom
IDAHO ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE SUCCESS
Prize Winning Ideas
I
n January, four student teams from throughout the university traveled to Boise to compete in the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge. Of the four ISU teams that made it to the finals, three placed, taking home a portion of the competition’s $100,000 in prize money. Division of Health
Sciences student Donald Young and healthcare administration student, Kaylie Johnson won overall runner-up for their idea “MaxVac”. MaxVac is a unique plastic device that would store and dispose syringes for safer
CFA CHALLENGE
use in hospitals and medical settings. College of Business students, Kastil
This year, the 2019 Chartered Financial Analyst
Gregory and Samantha Jimenez-Castro won best minority-led company for
Research Challenge Team went to Boise
their idea “Mezclilla Jeans”. This line of jeans is targeted at curvy Hispanic
State University to present their analysis of
and Latina women. And winning best marketing and trade show was
Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. to a panel of
College of Business students, Matazie Hobbs and Alexis Christiansen. This
judges from the CFA Society of Idaho. The
duo’s idea, “Sani-Station,” included a prototype which would automatically
team members were (left to right) Kunsang
spray disinfectant inside a diaper changing station when no longer in use. According to the teams’ mentor and director of the College’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED), Jeff Street, the
Lama, Victor Dominguez, Alexander Eckman, Petrus Van Rooyen, and Mingma Sherpa. The CFA Institute sponsors the Research Challenge,
an
international
competition
IEC had over 200 applicant teams this year. After the competition, at least
where university-sponsored teams perform
two of these winning teams have already begun working with the Small
equity analysis on a company. Participation
Business Development Center (SBDC) to work on taking their products
in the Challenge provides team members
to market. “Our students gave their all in representing ISU,” said Street.
with hands-on experience as equity analysts.
11 |
