Three University of Iowa students earned a combined $6,000 in prize money during the Undergraduate Startup Incubator End of Semester Pitch Competition, held May 9 at the Black Box Theatre in the Iowa Memorial Union.
The competition, hosted by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC), was structured into three groups based on pitch format, according to a post on the university’s website. Group 1 featured one-minute pitches with no Q&A, Group 2 allowed for two-minute pitches without questions, and Group 3 participants delivered up to four-minute pitches followed by a two-minute Q&A with judges.
Top honors in each group included:
Group 3: Tyler Graham claimed the $3,000 top prize for Archaneon Supplements LLC, a fitness supplement brand tailored for heavy weightlifters.
Group 2: EmmaJean Roling earned $2,000 for RefillerMe, a refillable detergent solution designed to reduce plastic waste at scale.
Group 1: Patrick Igo and Landon Stoll received $1,000 for FLIP (Financial Literacy Innovation Program), which uses gamification and data tools to teach the principles of compound wealth.
An honorable mention was awarded to Xandra McGlasson from Group 2 for Able Table, a venture focused on producing adjustable dining tables that promote inclusion for wheelchair users.
The Startup Incubator provides UI student entrepreneurs with mentoring, resources, and business development support to help grow early-stage ideas into viable ventures and is one of several programs offered by Iowa JPEC, the university’s hub for entrepreneurship education and innovation support.
