Nine startup teams composed of students and alumni from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will share $70,000 worth of services and resources after being named winners of the fourth annual Student Startup Challenge.
The challenge event, held by UWM, enrolls promising student entrepreneurs into a program that gives them access to the expertise of university students who are actively learning about developing prototype devices, mobile applications and business plans.
Winners will also be able to tap into resources housed in the Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship, a $10 million on-campus entrepreneurship hub slated to open in 2017.
The Student Startup Challenge folds into UWM’s growing entrepreneurial culture, known as the Ideas Challenge, which also features two major business plan competitions.
The student challenge is backed by the University of Wisconsin System and has earned recognition from VentureWell, formerly the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance.
The startup challenge winners are:
*Joe Kotlan, “University Exchange,” a safe outlet for university members to buy, sell and trade with others belonging to the campus community
*Rasoul Hosseini and Andrew Eggebeen, “Smart Energy Grid,” a microcontroller system for microgrids
*Alexis Nash – “OpenDoors,” a website and app for searching short-term lease options for Milwaukee storefronts to help startups get up and running
*Wyatt Tinder and Rebecca Yoshika, “Cheese Maker,” a do-it-yourself machine for creating cheese
*Ke Chen and Julian Ziman, “Notes,” automatic software for musicians for reading music
*Silas Petrie, “Ever Lock,” a novel lock that protects a whole bike
*Shawn Bohler and Brett Pozolinski, “Rehab Tracker,” software for patients and physical therapists to track and follow rehabilitation progress
*Joseph Pliner, “Smart Sole,” new shoe inserts to help figure when running shoes need replacing
*Charlene Olive, “Shared Compass,” a social program that allows people with mental disabilities to learn how to create and sell art
