Innovation Challenge
Do you have an idea for a product, service, or application that could become a hot new business? The Innovation Challenge might be your ticket to help turn that idea into a reality.
Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from across the university to use innovation and entrepreneurship to make a difference in local and global communities.
The winning team receives support for their business, including $10,000 in seed funding, and space, marketing, legal and accounting services totaling up to $40,000.
2017 TOP TEAMS
Stellar Aeronautic Robotics, First Place
Stellar Aeronautic Robotics' license-plate recognition drone to catch parking scofflaws was named the top team in the CSULB 2017 Innovation Challenge. Donald Truong, team leader of STAR, told judges a drone would be better for the environment, and let parking enforcement be done autonomously and without traffic interference or paper tickets. The drone’s camera would send images back to the base, where campus police would then issue tickets via email. The drone has drawn interest from several campuses, including CSULB. The team also included Paul Delgado, Trisha Echual, Inna Echual, Elizabeth Kim, Grace Ji, and Caitlin Rubia. STAR beat out three other teams for the Innovation Challenge top prize, which includes $10,000 seed funding, and roughly $40,000 in marketing, legal, accounting and other services. Read more about STAR
1010 Innovation, Runner Up
Led by Calvin Leung, 1010 Innovation proposed a mobile app that would help caregivers look after elderly family members. Other team members were: Ryan Genena, Jarret Mesa, Eugene Mesina, Han Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Alec Selfridge, and Anthony Willmore. 1010 was also a finalist in the previous year’s Innovation Challenge.
Biot, Runner Up
The Biot team, led by mechanical engineering senior Kyuho Shin, conceived a business plan to create a temperature-controlled lunchbox for both hot and cold meals. Tim Cormack, Marshall-Richard Cuico, and Kevin Vargas rounded out the team.
Fecit Innovation, Runner Up
Fecit Innovation, led by CSULB electrical engineering graduate Megan Del Rosario, a veteran of two healthcare startups, proposed a smartphone application capable of cardiovascular disease diagnosis. Other team members were CSULB electrical and mechanical engineering graduates Vian Rejuso, Nitish Bhardwaj, and Param Singh.
Join the discussion group
Interested in connecting with a team or finding an application developer, marketing whiz, or product design expert to round out your team? Join the Innovation Challenge discussion group to connect with other participants. And like the Innovation Challenge Facebook page to receive the latest updates.