Events and Competitions
Events & Competitions at UVU
UVU Social Innovation Challenge
Participating in the UVU Social Innovation Challenge offers you hands-on experience working to identify and research a social problem and gaps in the solutions market. This is a great place to start if you want to save the world.
Opportunity Quest
The UVU Opportunity Quest is open to all students across the UVU campus. The competition is designed to foster the students' entrepreneurial mindset through experiential education and to connect them with other entrepreneurs. UVU prides itself on teaching competencies in both managerial and technical skills. Entrepreneurs have a natural inclination toward innovation, achievement, self-determination, and personal resiliency.
Seed for Startups
With resources available from the UVU Wolverine Fund, the Ross Seed Fund, the Zinn Starter Fund, and the UVU Entrepreneurship Institute, UVU has the resources and tools to help start or fund your new business!
GSEA
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business while attending college or university. Nominees compete against their peers from around the world in a series of local and/or national competitions in hopes to qualify for GSEA Finals. Founded in 1998 by Saint Louis University, GSEA is now an Entrepreneurs’ Organization program.
Pitch!
A group of hand-selected UVU students have worked hard to develop their businesses and are at a point where additional resources are needed. At this event, they'll pitch their businesses and talk about where they are.
VentureCon
VentureCon is a one day, four hour trade show where UVU students with businesses will have the opportunity to set up a table and pitch their idea, sell their product, or otherwise work on validating their business concepts. Members of the community are invited to come and support our student businesses by providing them feedback or purchasing the students' products.
Launch & Accelerate
Launch and Accelerate is UVU's summer accelerator program for students and alumni who want to get their businesses up and running over the summer.
Competition and Funding Awardees
UVU Social Innovation Challenge
The annual UVU Social Innovation Challenge starts each September, provides workshops monthly during fall, and concludes with pitches from our finalists at an exciting awards competition in December.
Participating in the UVU Social Innovation Challenge offers you hands-on experience working to identify and research a social problem and gaps in the solutions market. This is a great place to start if you want to save the world. Join this year's challenge.
Fall 2018 Social Innovation Challenge Winners
Track 3 - Map the System
Veronica Dean-Reginato, Jessie Sandstrom, Preston Parry, Yelyzaveta Pashchenko, Kenna Blaylock
UVU Parking App $3000
Zip Rider $2000
Assist Campus Safety $1000
UTA Rewards $1000
Wheel Chair Wheel $500
Hydro Lifts $500
Spring 2018 Social Innovation Challenge Winners
Dallin McAllister, Steven Robison, Matt Wilcox, Kade Andrus and Sydney Yarro
2017 Social Innovation Challenge
First Place, Kevin Shurtleff & Austin Bettridge
Second Place, Zack Seipert
Third Place, Dalyn Banagas, Kaci Eliason, Steve Lockhart, Hannah Slattery, Skyler White
Opportunity Quest
UVU Opportunity Quest is open to all students across the UVU campus. The competition is designed to foster the students' entrepreneurial mindset through experiential education and to connect them with other entrepreneurs. UVU prides itself on teaching competencies in both managerial and technical skills. Entrepreneurs have a natural inclination toward innovation, achievement, self-determination, and personal resiliency. Enter OQ 2021.
2020 UVU Opportunity Quest Winners
First Place, Alessandra Camargo and Alex Camargo
with (from left to right) John Merrill, Brian Murphy, Amy Caldwell, Peter Jay, Ben
Perkins, and Mark Seastrand
Second Place, Kamel Greene and Bradley Bertola
with (from left to right) John Merrill, Brian Murphy, Amy Caldwell, Peter Jay, Bradley Bertola, Kamel Greene Ben Perkins, and Mark Seastrand
Third Place, Matthew Perry and Brock Hensen
with (from left to right) John Merrill, Brian Murphy, Amy Caldwell, Peter Jay, Matthew Perry, Brock Hensen, Ben Perkins, and Mark Seastrand
2019 UVU Opportunity Quest Winners
First Place, Ben Perkins
with (from left to right) Trent Christensen, Mark Seastrand, Brian Murphy, Ray Zinn, James Endicott, Ben Perkins, Elizabeth Perkins, Amy Rees Anderson, Jeff Flamm, Carine Clark, Norm Wright
Second Place, Mark Sumsion and Morgan Davis
with (from left to right) Trent Christensen, Mark Seastrand, Brian Murphy, Ray Zinn, James Endicott, Mark Sumsion, Morgan Davis, Amy Rees Anderson, Jeff Flamm, Carine Clark, Norm Wright
Third Place, Drew Gunderson
with (from left to right) Trent Christensen, Mark Seastrand, Brian Murphy, Ray Zinn, James Endicott, Drew Gunderson, Amy Rees Anderson, Jeff Flamm, Carine Clark, Norm Wright
2018 UVU Opportunity Quest Winners
First Place, Derek Omori, Cameron Adamson, Forest Pfatenhauer
with (from left to right) James Endicott, David Jimenez, Mark Seastrand, Brett Ross, and Greg Smith
Second Place, Mack Bawden
with (from left to right) James Endicott, David Jimenez, Mark Seastrand, Brett Ross, and Greg Smith
Third Place, Drew Gunderson (not pictured) and Beau Gunderson
with (from left to right) James Endicott, David Jimenez, Mark Seastrand, Brett Ross, and Greg Smith
Seed Funding Awardees
With resources available from the UVU Wolverine Fund, the Ross Seed Fund, the Zinn Starter Fund, and the UVU Entrepreneurship Institute, UVU has the resources and tools to help start or fund your new business!
Learn more about UVU's Seed Funds.
Seed For Startups Awardees Spring 2020
To be announced!
Seed For Startups Awardees Fall 2019
Kade Andrus, $2000
Derek Omori, $2000
Ben Perkins, $1500
Scott Craven, $500
Jessica Wiarda, $500
Cameron Stack, $350
Seed For Startups Awardees Spring 2019
Andrew Ossola, $1000
Cosette Reeves, $1000
Chandler Joly, $500
Jameson Tanner, $500
Leonardo Fuchs, $500
Tyler Taggert, $500
