Big iDeas Winners 2019-2022

2022 Business Plan Competition

Big iDeas fan favorite winners

Anim

Manov Jain ('22) is creating a mobile application that gives users the ability to shop more sustainability by learning how sustainable and nutritional products truly are.
College Plus founder Seun Suberu with his big check at the Big iDeas competition

College Plus

Seun Suberu ('22) is helping underserved students navigate the college admissions process with his app College+
Commerce Navigator founders Michael Castle and Jude Lugo with their big check at the Big iDeas competition

Commerce Navigator

Jude Lugo (’25) Michael Castle ('25) are designing a platform for e-commerce business owners that gives them the tools to automate all of their e-commerce processes
Tyne Dickson, founder of Equity Ahead, with her big check at the Big iDeas competition

Equity Ahead

Tyne Dickson ('22) created the app Equity, is creating an app for activists designed to help them plan peaceful protests and public demonstration both locally and nationally for community empowerment and change.
Sister Shaq's founders Raleigh Dewan with his big check at the Big iDeas competition

Sister Shaq Sweet Tea

Keyshon Jones(’23) and Raleigh Dewan ('23) are creating a social conscious beverage company that tastes good and does good by helping to end human trafficking.
Sonia Saeed, founder of spotBOX, with her big check at the Big iDeas competition

SpotBox

Sonia Saeed (’22) is creating a holistic menstrual care services platform, to increase access to period products and hygiene management for all, regardless of gender identity and financial background.
SteadiSpoon co-founder Mason Morland with his big check at the Big iDeas competition

Steadispoon

Mason Morland ('24) is designing a self-stabilizing spoon to help people with Parkinson's regain their agency to eat.

2021 Pitch Contest

Anim founder Maniv Jaim pitching

Anim

Manov Jain ('22) is creating a mobile application that gives users the ability to shop more sustainability by learning how sustainable and nutritional products truly are.
Collegiora co-founder Rhys Prosser with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

Collegiora

Rhys Prosser ('23) is creating a streamlined platform that services the SMU student in an innovative way . This platform is a one-stop shop for research opportunities, knowledge-sharing, community-building, and pathfinding.
Picture of Jude Lugo (center) with his big check. Jennifer Ebinger (left) and Simon Mack (right)

Commerce Navigator

Jude Lugo (’25) is designing a platform for e-commerce business owners that gives them the tools to automate all of their e-commerce processes
Photo of EZ Tutor founder Aryan Bhatnagar with Jen Ebinger and Simon Mak

EZ Tutor

Aryan Bhatnagar (’22) is designing a direct-to-consumer peer tutoring marketplace and SaaS platform for institutions and education providers.
Flip Chip founder Zachary Lawyer with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

Flip Chip

Zachary Lawyer has created a ceramic poker chip that is used in restaurants. The poker chips have a red and a green which signify whether someone wants service or not based on which side is facing up on the table.
Local Mycology founder Grant Ayers with Jennifer Ebinger and SImon Mak

Local Mycology

Grant Ayers (’22) is creating a local gourmet mushroom farm in the heart of Dallas to be sold at the Dallas farmers market.
Medichain founders Eric Vu and Alex Cerpa with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

Medichain

Son Vu and Alex Cerpa are using blockchain technology to store, exchange, and search for patient information so patients can control more of their medical info.
Oasis Market founder Rankin Poage with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

Oasis Market

Rankin Poage (’23) is designing an innovative grocery concept, targeting Dallas' food deserts.
Sanctuary Showers founder Mason Kenmore with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

Sanctuary Showers

Mason Kenmore (’25) is addressing homelessness by setting up safe portable showers in homeless communities and providing basic hygiene products.
Picture of Keyshon Jones (center) with his big check. Jennifer Ebinger (left) and Simon Mak (right)

Sister Shaq Sweet Tea

Keyshon Jones (’23) is creating a social conscious beverage company that tastes good and does good by helping to end human trafficking.
SpotBox founder Sonia Saeed with Jennifer Ebinger and Simon Mak

SpotBOX

Sonia Saeed (’22) is creating a holistic menstrual care services platform, to increase access to period products and hygiene management for all, regardless of gender identity and financial background.
Picture of Raleigh Dewan (center) with his big check. Jennifer Ebinger (left) and Simon Mak (right)

Steadispoon

Raleigh Dewan ('23) is designing a self-stabilizing spoon to help people with Parkinson's regain their agency to eat.

 

 

2021 Business Plan Contest Winners

Sister Shaq's

Raleigh Dewan is fighting to end human trafficking with beverage company Sister Shaq's Sweet Tea

Curle

Mona El-Gharby is creating custom curly hair products with her beauty brand Curle

College+

Seun Suberu is helping underserved students navigate the college admissions process with his app College+

spotBOX

Sonia Saeed and Lisa Kim are improving the menstrual experience with their ungendered period subscription service spotBOX.

Panacea

Madison McMahan is helping folks find friends amid the pandemic with her app Panacea.

Anim

Manov Jain is helping consumers make more informed and healthy choices about their food with his app Anim

EZ Tutor

Aryan Bhatnagar is helping students learn with his peer-to-peer tutoring company EZ Tutor.

2020 Pitch Contest Winners

PITCHin

PITCHin - Andrew Melland and Sarah Koh

The Playground Acting Program

The Playground - Alysia Giakoumas

Renewal

Renewal - Ashley Gans

Sarah Koh and Andrew Melland

Alysia Giakoumas

Ashley Gans and Logan McElroy

Crowd Share

Alejandro Villaquiran

Regent

Regent - Greta Falten

MyFire

MyFire - Elizabeth Hanna

Alejandro Villaquiran

Greta Felten

Elizabeth Hanna

Room Valet

Room Valet - Anna Rose Carrell and Matt Melcher

spotBOX

Carp

Carp - Olivia Gruber

Anna Rose Carrell and Matt Melcher

Sonia Saeed and Yuijin Kim

Olivia Gruber

Covid SMS

 

My Low

My Low - Costakis Loizou

 

Allen Lui

Brandon Herman and Costakis Loizou

 

2020 Business Plan Winners

Clean Energy Gambia

Curly Solutions

EZ Tutor

Mohammed Njie (’21, left) is creating a social enterprise to tackle the high energy demands of Gambia and bring clean and sustainable energy sources to the nation.

Mona El-Gharby (’20) is developing products for curly hair that inspire users, raise confidence, and connect them to a larger community.

Aryan Bahtnagar (’22) is building an app and service to connect students to peers from within their school who are able to tutor and support.

Greener Life

Local Sage

Univers_

Taylor Slaton (’20) and Ceydan Kaya (’20) are developing an app to help the average consumer track their waste consumption over a day.

Gavin Watts (’21) is creating an online farmer's market to connect foodies with the best products from their city, region, or state.

Abigail Peterson (’20, right) is creating a mobile app to improve young adults' campus experience by facilitating friendships and social connections.

2019 Pitch Competition Winners

College +

Curly Solutions

Cusp

Seun Suberu (’23) is building an app to help high school students search for colleges, reducing stress and easing the transition to college.

Mona El-Gharby (’21) is developing products for curly hair that inspire users, raise confidence, and connect them to a larger community.

Eric Petsche (’20) is creating an app to provide creative professionals with a platform through which they may network and collaborate.

DeepEnergy

EZ-Tutor

The Gambia Electrification Project

Austin Hickle (’22) is building an innovative battery and making compressed air energy more accessible for consumers.

Maren Hess (’22) is building an app and service to connect students to peers from within their school who are able to tutor and support.

Mohammed Njie (’21) is creating a social enterprise to tackle the high energy demands of Gambia and bring clean and sustainable energy sources to the nation.

GreenerLife

Hands

One for All Theater

 

Taylor Slaton (’20) and Ceydan Kaya (’20) are developing an app to help the average consumer track their waste consumption over a day.

Josh Lauer (’20) is creating a haptic-glove to enhance the experience of extended reality.

Ben Stegmair (’21) is building a platform to help students hone their acting skills and bringing affordable theater to diverse citizens of the DFW area.

The Playground Acting Program

Rock Strap

Sweetie, Take Care of Yourself

Alysia Giakoumas (’21) is creating a children’s life-skills program taught through the art of acting.

Drew Schindler (’21) is creating an innovative and simple solution to the problems associated with cello rock stops.

Brinn Bailey (’21) is developing a personal care product line and spreading awareness of mental health, especially among black women

Treeology

Vuzag

We the Students

Surya Ramakrishnan (’22) is building a company to reduce single-use plastics and promote greener thinking.

Jalen Lynch (’20) is creating an app to socially connect the world’s information and connect communities like never before.

Lamisa Mustafa (’21) is creating a first-of-its-kind community symposium created by, of, and for undergraduate student-activists from colleges across North Texas.