Riata Business Plan Competition awards $40,500 in scholarship money to student entrepreneurs
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Manager of Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
The Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has announced the conclusion of its annual Riata Business Plan Competition.
The finalist teams presented their business ideas to a panel of judges on Friday in real time, competing for recognition and a total of $40,500 in scholarship money.
“We’re incredibly proud of all the participants who put their innovative ideas forward and worked diligently through the competition,” said Paula McCullough, manager of the Riata Center’s outreach programs. “The annual Business Plan Competition is not just a chance to showcase talent but also a platform for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills, connect with industry experts and receive constructive feedback.”
The competition, which encourages innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among Oklahoma State University students of all majors, saw an impressive 64 intent-to-compete submissions as the fall semester ended. Of those, 44 teams went on to submit comprehensive executive summaries of their business ideas, showcasing a diverse array of promising ventures across various industries.
A panel of 24 distinguished judges from various disciplines reviewed and scored participants’ executive summaries, providing valuable feedback and selecting the top 24 teams to advance to the live round Friday, where winners were selected.
The competition is a cornerstone of the Riata Center, which is dedicated to fostering an environment of creativity and entrepreneurial development. The center provides students with the resources, mentorship and support they need to turn their ideas into actionable business plans.
Top teams receive scholarship money and the opportunity to further develop their ideas through the Riata Center’s mentorship and entrepreneurial programs. Each team competes in one of four categories: Main Street Lifestyles, Big City/High Tech, Social Enterprise and Rising Entrepreneur.
The 2025 winners are:
Main Street Lifestyles
First: Pete’s Protein Café – Lydia Rice
Second: Boba Pour – Mary Wellington
Third: The Roaming Rooster – Destiny Wahweah
Big City/High Tech
First: SciVince – Soroosh Farsiani
Second: Lingua Tech – Aubrey Fudge, Harrison Confer
Third: Innozyme – Rosalie Dohmen
Social Enterprise
First: Ghidaa w Ni’Maa – Sarah Abdelmoneam
Second: In the Middle of a Miracle – Brooklyn Hawkins
Third: Nutreco Salvor – Shivanshi Agarwal, Rroopesh Hari
Rising Entrepreneur
First: The 405 – Marian Gutierrez
Second: Inhaler Innovations – Anahita Badkoubeh, Emmanuel Yangue, Boris Oskolkov, Rashed Islam
Best Elevator Pitch
Better Boyfriend – Dean Bigler, Carson Horsburgh
Richard L. Tourtellotte Family Scholarship
In the Middle of a Miracle, Brooklyn Hawkins
Finalists
UAI – Venkata Leela Raman Raj Botta
Prescient Healthcare – Rynn Hogan
LumiWalk – Mohammad Pasham, Habib Boloorchi
Better Boyfriend – Dean Bigler, Carson Horsburgh
HipAI, Inc. – Noah Duncan
WasteNot – Prince Jhandai, Liyaqat Ali Kamran
Prograte Capital Ventures – Kevin Kuteesa, Muwanika Jdiobe
Angela’s DIY Designs – Angela Davis
Snap Footwear – Trinity Hunsaker, Addy Irwin, Aidan Ahern
CSP Contracting – Nick Camacho, Jaydon Saylor
Bri’s Blooms – Briana Eads
Palette – Alison Conway
For more information about the Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or to inquire about upcoming events, please visit https://business.okstate.edu/riata/.