by Claire Drapeau
The Gustie Entrepreneur Cup is a student competition that is judged based on the development of an innovative idea and the ability to create a business around that idea. For the Cup, students identify real problems and opportunities, find realistic solutions, use data, and integrate important research to develop a business model. Students then present to a panel of judges for the opportunity to win a share of up to $20,000 in seed funding.
This year the Gustie Cup was held on Saturday, April 30th 2022 in the Beck Atrium with 38 student participants and 12 teams. This year there were two categories within the competition:
- Big innovative ideas that are scalable and have traditionally won the Cup
- A new category based on a community-based business idea which could provide a student a livelihood after graduation
Students had the opportunity to win prize money for developing either a for-profit venture or a social entrepreneurial endeavor.
This year’s Gustie Cup winners
Novel Scalable Business Category
First place: Recover Quick Stick
Madeline Rice
This idea will be going to the Minnesota Cup as a Semi Finalist
Hate being tired and the feeling of fatigue that usually sets in halfway through your workout or game? To combat that feeling of fatigue, I have designed a prototype of a device that will help limit fatigue and improve performance through muscle temperature control, allowing users to workout longer with more intensity. Backed by research done by the University of Stanford.
Second place: Buzz
Joel Hug, Aazib Tassadaq
Buzz is a freemium geolocation-based dating app which lets users meet up at nightlife events. In existing dating apps, the average user only ends up meeting 2% of their matches and as this pandemic comes to an end we plan to encourage more and more in-person social interactions through technology. Buzz allows people to meet with others within a 500 meter radius. We have features like hotspots where users can see popular nightlife events in their area at any given time.
Enhanced Sustainability Category
First Place: Thanh Uy Art Center
Jessica Le
The mission of Thanh Uy Art Center is to advance the art of Vietnamese printmaking. We recognize the disconnect between printmakers and potential customers and create an online marketplace that commits to delivering quality printmaking artworks to the public at an affordable price. My father has collected Vietnamese prints since 2008. My father’s expertise and my business background will bring more quality printmaking artworks to art enthusiasts at more price points.
Second Place: EntreprenYOUership
Eliana Tade, Bella Nduwayezu
We’ve created an opportunity for anyone to learn about the behind the scenes work of an entrepreneur. Simultaneously, we want learning to be engaging and fun so we have created a board game called EntreprenYOUership: Building YOUR Path to Sucess!. This game will educate players about how versatile entrepreneurship is, as well as the challenges that come with it and cultivate creativity to help overcome them. This game is a great way for middle and high schoolers to learn about entrepreneurship.
Visit here to learn more about The Gustie Cup!