$15,000 Scholarship Grand Prize Goes to EcoBreeze in Fowler Business Concept Challenge
On Friday night at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theater, face coverings attendees wore couldn’t muffle the cheers for the winners of the 3rd annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge. After 16 semi-finalist teams spent the day pitching their innovative business concepts to panels of judges from San Diego’s business community, each delivered their elevator pitch in front of a live audience at the evening award ceremony.
The audience heard a wide range of pitches, from high tech ideas like electric car charging stations, a social network for families and a virtual learning assistant, to products like a pillow system that provides disabled or elderly people with more mobility at home.
Team EcoBreeze came away with the top prize of $15,000 in scholarships. Their idea for an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to conventional air conditioning was not only a hit with the judges, but also with the audience — they received an additional $1,000 Audience Choice Award for most engaging pitch. The EcoBreeze team included Kylie Rios ‘22 (Electrical Engineering), Mary Hinek ‘22 (Marketing), Meghan Pipitone ‘22 (Electrical Engineering) and Colton Landaiche ‘22 (Integrated Engineering). Now armed with an award-winning product idea, the team plans to have their first prototype completed by January, and will use the Spring semester to increase product efficiency and reduce production costs.
The full list of winners of Friday’s Fowler Business Concept Challenge included:
- Grand prize ($15,000 award sponsored by Linda L. and Edward K. Rice:) - EcoBreeze
- 1st runner up ($7,500) - Envi
- 2nd runner up ($5,000) - Pillow Lift
- 3rd runner up ($3,500) - Junitie
- Most Engaging Presenter Audience-choice Awards sponsored by IPROTEAN ($1,000 each) - Blue Planet Optics and EcoBreeze
- Plus, all 12 additional semi-finalists received a $1,000 scholarship
The Fowler Business Concept Challenge was created in 2019, and is powered by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Catalyzer at the University of San Diego School of Business. “The Fowler Business Concept Challenge is all about resourcing, recognizing and rewarding USD students with entrepreneurial ambitions," said Amit Kakkad, PhD, faculty director of innovation and entrepreneurship programs at the USD School of Business. "This challenge gives USD students a hands-on opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and a platform to develop their business ideas with guidance and coaching from both faculty and industry experts while competing for scholarship prizes totaling $45,000.”
Open to students across the entire university, this year’s challenge included participants from six different USD schools. For the past month, students have been practicing and honing their pitching skills for the chance to compete at the Nov. 5 event.
More than 50 local business leaders served as judges in the lead-up to the event, representing an investment of hundreds of hours from the business community. Ron Fowler, vice chairman of the San Diego Padres and CEO of Liquid Investments, was present throughout the day as a judge and expressed his happiness at being able to gather in person again for the event after a virtual competition in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Having originally supported the creation of a similar event at his alma mater, the University of St. Thomas, Fowler helped bring the challenge to USD through a gift in 2019. As a judge, he looks for passion above all, and he believes every student who has the courage to get up on stage will get something out of the experience.
“Most significant things you learn are because you’ve made mistakes, and you remember the mistakes more than the successes,” said Fowler. “This is an opportunity to make mistakes in a safe environment, and give you confidence when you’re finished with school and out in the real world to deliver on what you can do.”For those who competed, the event represents an early formative experience in what has become known as the “Toreropreneur’s Journey” at USD — a full suite of programming, resources and mentorship opportunities that together serve to turn students into confident entrepreneurs.
USD President James T. Harris III summed up the spirit of the student participants best in his opening remarks at the event. Referencing the USD mascot and a famous quote from Teddy Roosevelt, Harris shared that the word “torero” has many connotations, but he takes it to stand for courage, especially the courage it takes to enter the arena and dare greatly. “Students, you are daring greatly. Thank you for having the courage to step up and be in the arena.”
— Daniel Telles ’21 (MBA)