The ABCEI’s 2024 Idea and Innovation Challenge Finale
On Thursday, November 14th, The Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation hosted the Idea and Innovation Challenge Final Event. The event included ten finalist teams, which consisted of students from various UMBC majors and disciplines. The teams presented their ideas in front of an audience of students,
professors, community members, and an esteemed panel of judges, Gianna Arnold, Aaron Brooks ‘12, and Chris White ‘97. This was all with the help of our sponsors, Scott Weber ‘85 and Nancy Burger.
This year, The Alex. Brown Center offered three tracks for students to enter: The Technology & Innovation Track, the Social Impact Track, and the Spark Track. After the students in each of the tracks presented, they faced questions regarding their idea from the judges. Once all presentations were complete, the judges deliberated and came to their final decisions for the stand-out ideas in each track. While the judges decided on the winners, the audience had the opportunity to vote on the Best Presentation of the night. The Alex. Brown Center would like to recognize the winning ideas below:
Technology and Innovation Track:
1st Place: Elastic Energy
- Presented by Samuel Bendek
- Eco-friendly energy storage solutions using sustainable sap-based biopolymers, aiming to advance decarbonization efforts while providing reliable and affordable energy access to underserved communities.
2nd Place: iBraid
- Presented by Velma Funebe
- A mobile app that leverages augmented reality to provide real-time, personalized guidance for hair braiding, empowering users to master braiding techniques with confidence and precision while fostering a supportive community.
3rd Place: CourseLens
- Presented by Adam Baji
- Provides data-driven insights into individual course sections, tailored recommendations, and tools to optimize academic performance and balance workloads for students to make informed scheduling decisions.
4th Place: Career Book
- Presented by Somesh Oza
- An app that fosters a collaborative community where learners and professionals share experiences, provide feedback, and support each other’s growth and success.
Social Impact Track:
1st Place: Photograss
- Presented by Peter Gatira
- Leverages AI to help users discover, share, and improve green spaces while identifying and addressing environmental impact areas in their communities.
2nd Place: CiviConnect
- Presented by Qanita Baqibillah
- Provides sustainable solutions for displaced populations, using solar-powered mesh networks to enhance connectivity, access to critical resources, and long-term support for refugees.
3rd Place: Tastes of the World
- Presented by Manav Vaishnav and Anna Lam
- Sensory-stimulating oral motor toys and educational tools that promote early childhood development by fostering healthy associations with food through interactive, multi-sensory play.
4th Place: eFXU
- Presented by Thalia Anora
- Dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles among college students by raising awareness about balanced diets and providing access to nutritious meal plan options through strategic collaborations.
Spark Track:
1st Place: Bioswale
- Presented by Sarah Lehrman
- Designing and implementing bioswales to manage stormwater runoff, reduce pollution, and enhance local biodiversity through sustainable, efficient, and wildlife-friendly infrastructure solutions.
2nd Place: Solar Sidewalks
- Presented by Addisbrhane Negussie
- An innovative way to generate renewable energy using sidewalks embedded with solar panels and piezoelectric materials.
Best Presentation:
- Elastic Energy – Samuel Bendek
Quotes from the Finalists:
“The event was an inspiring experience that fostered a strong sense of community among us entrepreneurs. It gave us the chance to connect, collaborate, and grow together, while motivating us to create meaningful solutions that generate value for society.” – Samuel Bendek
“I am incredibly grateful for the exceptional preparation and unwavering support I received before, during, and after the competition. The process of learning to clearly define my problem and articulate my solution has boosted my confidence in my product’s mission and purpose. Taking the leap to pitch my idea on Idea Pitch Day was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The valuable feedback and meaningful connections I gained through this experience have truly empowered me on my journey!” – Velma Funebe
“The Idea Innovation Challenge was a great way for me to present an idea I had for a business and get realistic feedback on it. Being able to hear this feedback has allowed me to restructure my business into becoming more realistic. If you have the opportunity to present or attend this event it is definitely one you won’t want to miss!” – Manav Vaishnav
“It was a memorable night with many smart, creative ideas on how to make an impact!” – Peter Gatira