Hopeful to enact positive change in her home country of Rwanda, Lillian Uwanjye, a junior integrated science major, entered the 3-2-1 Quick Pitch Competition to support her goal of combatting malnutrition. Hosted by Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the competition helps students learn to frame and pitch their ideas.
“The money I win could be used to start something I care about. Even if I didn’t win, to know I’ll have feedback for improving my business idea is well worth it,” she said.
The 3-2-1 Quick Pitch event provides any university student three minutes to pitch one business idea to a panel of judges, comprised of local business leaders and innovators. Morrill Hall set the tone for Uwanjye and the other 89 competitors, as they pitched their ideas next to exhibits of prehistoric creatures. Sam Nelson, director of the center and associate professor of practice in management, knew the uneasy environment would throw some students “off their game.”
“The exhibits at Morrill Hall demonstrate the nature of change on our planet and how it has continued to evolve over time. In Quick Pitch, we ask students to pitch ideas that will change the world and provide solutions to the challenges we are faced with,” said Nelson. “Our students traditionally give presentations in a classroom setting and it is important for them to realize they will often be presenting their ideas in non-traditional environments. We felt Morrill Hall gave us a great opportunity to create that unique environment.”
Uwanjye’s business idea planned to tackle a deficiency in protein available for consumption in Rwanda. She envisioned the solution as Faith It! Aquaculture, a fish farm to produce tilapia accessible to the local community.
Although nervous at the start of the competition, she kept her composure throughout her pitch, and the judges recognized both her poise and the potential of her idea. Craig Willeke, president of Willeke Financial Group in Lincoln, Nebraska, and one of four judges in Uwanjye’s room, believed she would turn her idea into reality, a deciding factor when determining winners.
“Even though Lillian has a ways to go to further develop her plan, we all felt she would develop it with time. She’s got passion and a general outline which made us believe it will happen,” he said.
Though an integrated science major, Uwanjye’s insight into how businesses operate comes from classes taken at the College of Business.
“I’m taking management classes and learning about inventory and how to treat the internal environment of a business. My accounting classes also teach me to analyze my different account books. All that helps me,” she said.
Uwanjye not only took home one of 27 prizes of $333.33, but also invaluable feedback to make her plan a reality. While she puts money away for land to start her business, her priorities fall on making the most of her time at Nebraska.
“I keep educating myself and pretending in my head like I have everything. So now, if I have everything, what can I do the next morning? I’m equipping myself with the knowledge and skills I need so by the time I save enough money, I can start right away,” said Uwanjye.
To learn more about the next Center for Entrepreneurship competition — Husker Huddle, Dec. 2 – or other upcoming competitions, stop by HLH 315 or visit the College of Business website.
Room winners (listed below) have the opportunity to pitch their idea at the university’s New Venture Competition in the spring. The event features two $25,000 grand prizes.
Room 1 | Mesozoic A
Andrew Adelson, senior business administration major from Polk, Nebraska; Vendo, an event space manager for local businesses that streamlines the process of booking areas.
Arihant Mittal, sophomore international business major from Jaipur, India; A safety mobile app that helps users remain safe after consuming alcohol.
Grace Partridge, sophomore management and marketing major from Rapid City, South Dakota; TheDATE, an integrative community calendar platform that combines all your local community, college and Greek events in one interactive calendar.
Room 2 | Mesozoic B
Ashley Clegg, sophomore management major from Lincoln, Nebraska; Fytt, an online e-commerce platform integrating clothing retailers into one place where users are able to filter clothing by their exact measurements.
Natalie Johnson, senior biochemistry major from Aurora, Colorado; a mobile coat check service people could use while out on the town, which uses an automated messaging service to ensure customers know the coat check’s current location and can grab their coat at the end of the night.
Jordan Seitz, sophomore supply chain management and analytics major from Gregory, Michigan; a wealth management and financial advising plan for incoming college students so that they can focus on getting an education.
Room 3 | Toren Gallery of Ancient Life
Jessica Aragon, sophomore management major from Plano, Texas; an in-home daily gluten level tracker, similar to how diabetics check their insulin levels, paired with a mobile app.
Connor Jolley, junior computer science and management major from Omaha, Nebraska; YoChain, a blockchain-based company that acts as a centralized store of loan applications to prevent loan stacking.
Nick Nguyen, junior computer science and mathematics from Omaha; YoPC, which combines the ease of use of a phone with a laptop for productivity.
Room 4 | Weapons Throughout Time
Jack Arens, junior computer engineering major from Ainsworth, Nebraska; HerdMan, an application for complete tracking of a ranch’s animal herd.
Adrianna McKing, sophomore management and marketing major from Bellevue, Nebraska; Extra utility tweezers, which helps those with accessibility issues live a normal life.
Odile Umuhoza, senior integrated science major from Bugesera, Rwanda; Aquaru Farms, which uses aquaponics to supply purely organic and high quality fresh fruits, fish and vegetables to nearby residents and markets at an affordable price.
Room 5 | Jurassic Dinosaurs
Reilly Cooper, biological sciences Ph.D. student from Pleasant Valley, New York; a new preventative treatment option, utilizing beneficial bacteria to reduce the presence of pathogens that cause bovine respiratory disease.
Levi Gipson, MBA student from Lincoln; Custom bracing and supports using 3D scanning on someone’s limbs to help create a perfect fit for their brace, and customized material dependent on force output of people.
Joey Jeanetta, senior management major from Omaha; a B2B cannabis cultivation organization that wholesales top-shelf, organic, all-natural aquaponics cannabis to dispensaries.
Room 6 | Explore Evolution
Luke Bogus, junior management and marketing major from Columbus, Nebraska; Pyrol, a white-labeled, digital platform built specifically for small/local coffee shops and bakeries.
Shelby Kittle, sophomore agriculture education major from Ord, Nebraska; comb honey to put in restaurants, alongside a tracking/anti-theft device for commercialized beekeeping operations.
Lillian Uwanjye, junior integrated science major from Kigali, Rwanda
Room 7 | Transforming Prairies
Max Van Arsdall, junior management major from Lincoln; Pioneer Skateboards, a skateboard design company.
Vishnu Menon, sophomore computer science major from Omaha; CityScape, a human-centric data presentation tool that allows governments of all sizes to use economic, crime and census data to display detailed geographic overlays of areas of need among their populace or areas of opportunity for local businesses.
Zac Streich, freshman computer science major from Lincoln; A general-purpose insurance mobile app customized and integrated into small and medium-sized insurance companies.
Room 8 | Sustainable Earth
Wyatt Packard, senior management major from Lincoln; The Locker Truck Co., a mobile truck that provides convenient and secure storage for all types of events.
Timothy Schartz, sophomore accounting and management major from El Segundo, California; Financial Tree, a mobile app that teaches people how to budget by analyzing spending habits.
Zach Vancas, senior advertising and public relations major from Rapid City; affordable, digital, night vision technology.
Room 9 | Nebraska Modern Landscapes
Ludmila Filipova, senior advertising and public relations major from Prague, Czech Republic; CleanDrops, toothpaste that takes the shape of a teardrop, which are popped in the mouth for the brushing making it fun and attractive for kids to use.
Katie Lamb, sophomore management and marketing major from Grafton, Wisconsin; a guard that can be placed on hot tools such as curling irons or flat irons that will protect your face, neck, scalp and ears from burns.
Brent Miller, senior animal science major from Lyons, Nebraska; Hemp Merchandisers Limited, a company to connect buyers and sellers via merchandising and sales assistance in the industrial hemp market.
