2023 Participants
BluBoost: Kazuma Matsuo ’24, Jonathan Young ’25, Raymond Fleming ’23, Connor Kalthoff ’24
We are a digital marketing company that helps small blue-collar businesses expand their online presence and increase sales by providing them with custom interactive websites. Our value proposition is to provide hassle-free website setup, hosting, and maintenance services, all for an affordable monthly fee. By leveraging our expertise in web development and digital marketing, we aim to empower small businesses to succeed in today’s digital economy.
Cord: Gevorg Margaryan ’26, David Yang ’26 (Third Prize Winner)
Cord is a transportation platform committed to providing reliable, efficient, and secure service to drivers and passengers. Our short-term goal is to help St. Olaf and Carleton students save money through our peer-to-peer ride reservation system. Our ultimate goal is to build the most efficient ride reservation system for every college.
Elimisha Kakuma: Mary Malou ’23
Elimisha Kakuma is a university access program that prepares a generation of globally educated refugees committed to each other and to their communities. Students receive intensive academic instruction, exam preparation, mentorship with current college students, and guidance through the college application process.
Horus: Fenton Krupp ’24
Horus is a handheld device that uses a proprietary radio technology to communicate with others when off-the-grid, but it’s not your grandparent’s vintage walkie-talkie. Horus allows for off-the-grid and secure location tracking, voice calling, and messaging.
Share to Light: Immaculée Nizigiyimana Sifa ’24
We aim at developing generations of children with visions to reach their highest potential regardless of physical disabilities.
Phase 1- Provides personalized support to families and children, such as financial counseling and guidance on accessing resources.
Phase 2- Has a developed curriculum highlighting the ways in which transferable skills can be taught in person at workshops.
Phase 3- Matches participants with real-world businesses and assists participants at work until independently work without support.
Sinjar Sustainable Recycling and Plant Program: Azeez Khudeeda ’26, Sardar Qaidi ’26
Sunsor is a proactive plant care system that combines individual plant monitoring sensors with a data-driven fertilizing machine to simplify plant health and reduce waste in the indoor plant market.
The Shop 1500: Gio Green ’23, Zaria Irving ’25, Aidan Lloyd ’24 (Best Social Impact Venture)
The Shop 1500 seeks to continue the pursuit of meeting all students’ needs by providing hair and nail care services not readily available in the immediate area, not satisfactory in the immediate area, or too expensive due to up charges for the low population of the immediate area.
Whiskey Woods: Jordan Oberholtzer ’24 (First Prize Winner)
Whiskey Woods is a lifestyle product that provides a solution to a consumer need for a simple to use, comprehensive drink glass smoking kit. Whiskey Woods brings a complete, portable drink glass smoking kit to liquor and craft cocktail consumers.
Psync.AI: Abdou Ghanim ’23, Saji Nammari ’23 (Second Prize Winner)
Psync is a therapy-enhancement platform that harnesses the power of AI to help patients and therapists stay organized, set milestones, and track progress.
Judges
Anthony Valiulis ’17
Paul Eckholm ’76
Tina Rexing ’95
Mark Skeba ’05
Matt Schneider ’99