First-Year Students Embrace Entrepreneurship at Innovation Immersion – Newsroom

A week before classes began at the University of St. Thomas, nearly 150 first-year students filled with entrepreneurial spirit participated in Freshman Innovation Immersion, an exciting day of business ideation and creation.

Now in its 11^th year, the daylong Schulze School of Entrepreneurship event, which is open to first-year students from all disciplines, challenges them to brainstorm business concepts and pitch their ideas to judges “Shark Tank-style,” with a chance to win up to $500 cash.

“The excitement, the engagement was top-notch this year,” said Danielle Campeau, associate dean of the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the Opus College of Business. “This event is truly about engagement, building connections and solving problems that matter to the students. Hopefully, it can inspire them to think big about how they might be innovative in their future careers.”

Isabella Gujan ’29, a first-year entrepreneurship major from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, said “I participated in this type of a competition in high school, but the coaching I received by mentors at St. Thomas has been instrumental in increasing my entrepreneurial ability to compete on the college stage.”

Divided into 24 teams and representing 37 majors from engineering to education, the participants filled the hallways of James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall in the Anderson Student Center. Paired with volunteer mentors ranging from upper class students, community members, business leaders and entrepreneurs, the students developed public speaking skills, creative thinking and presentation excellence. 

“Reach Your Peak” is the tagline for the ALPS app Gujan’s team developed. It is designed to support students with behavioral challenges. 

“We created ALPS to meet kids where they’re at,” said Gujan. “Our app enables teachers to work in a way that will allow students to stay in the classroom or learn in a separate space. The students will still get the same learning opportunities as their classmates and reach their peak.”

In developing their ideas, students participating in Freshman Innovation Immersion learn that innovation is about solving problems that matter to people. 

“It’s really about developing empathy and solutions that make an impact in human lives,” Campeau said. “That connects directly to our mission to advance the common good. Making positive change, even in small ways, can lead to substantial impact in society and the world.”

An example is the team that won the top prize. They pitched Flex Guard, a protective glove that combines impact-reducing webbing with AI technology. 

“Through our mobile app, Flex Guard tracks stress in your hands in real time, giving athletes and coaches the ability to predict and prevent injuries,” said Jackson Menke ’29, a mechanical engineering student who is from Pella, Iowa. 

Students developed a range of ideas that were as unique as their backgrounds. There was an app supporting neurodiverse learners and tools addressing sustainability and student wellness. 

The judges, several of whom were alumni and local entrepreneurs, offered thoughtful insights after each pitch, challenging participants to refine their ideas and consider real-world applications. 

The judges’ Audience Choice Award went to a team with a travel app concept designed to enhance road trips by providing information on landmarks and nature in real time.

Not all the business concepts could be winners, further teaching participants about resilience and that failure is a part of the process.

“Failure isn’t necessarily a negative thing,” Campeau said. “It is an opportunity to learn and to grow and to develop. What we hope students gain from this is an understanding that it’s okay to fail.”

And students have numerous chances to try again. Throughout the year, the school awards approximately $500,000 through student competitions like the Fowler Business Concept Challenge and the Business Plan Competition, which will offer skills and confidence building, feedback and encouragement as they gain traction on their entrepreneurial journey.

“One of the keys to developing an entrepreneurial mindset is resilience,” Campeau said. “Being true innovators means we persist, move past the bumps along the road and keep trying. We really hope the Freshman Innovation Immersion sparks their curiosity and inspires all St. Thomas students to pursue their ideas.”