News Releases

Entrepreneurial Competition “Innovation Challenge” Returns for Sixth Year

  • Sheryl Tirol
  • April 21, 2023

Regis University's business event includes new addition with Arrupe Jesuit High School

Regis University’s sixth Innovation Challenge concludes at 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 28, at the University’s Northwest Denver Campus. The business competition offers competitors support, mentorship, and guidance for starting and growing successful businesses. The teams are preparing for the final round and have been working since November on their business concepts.

This year in addition to the six teams of undergraduate and graduate students, Regis faculty and community members, a team from Arrupe Jesuit High School will be participating. The high school students were part of a new business course that was developed by Regis earlier this year. The teams will be competing for start-up funding and workspace in the University’s Innovation Center. Prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and multiple $1,000 prizes will be awarded to the top competitors along with a special prize announcement the night of the event.

The event is free and open to the public, and the audience will help decide the winners.

“The goal of the Innovation Challenge is to inspire and encourage the campus’ entrepreneurial mindset and help get more businesses running sustainably by supporting them with mentoring from business leaders and introducing them to the wonderfully supportive startup ecosystem in Denver,” said Ken Sagendorf, professor and director of Regis’ Innovation Center.

The competition, which launched in 2017, had 23 businesses sign up to join this year. A semifinals competition was held in March to determine the top teams. The Innovation Challenge puts the top seven teams against one another in a Shark Tank-style competition where business ideas are pitched to a panel of judges. Ideas will be judged on desirability, feasibility, viability and presentation. 

The Innovation Challenge finalists include:

  • Golf Greener - Golf ball retrieval company that focuses on making golf a greener sport by gathering and cleaning the balls and repurpose them for sale.
  • Traveling Ground - One-stop-shop for mid- to high-end used bikes and components where parts are bought, meticulously cleaned, fixed, and photographed to ensure the best value.
  • Gravity Coaching - Workforce partner, offering coaching, online education and community support for nurses.
  • Tap Energy LLC - A patent-pending micro-hydroelectric generator that captures excess pressure from the main water supply and converts it to usable electricity, presenting an innovative and eco-friendly supplement to existing power sources.
  • Native Glam Model and Talent - First modeling and talent agency tailored to the Indigenous community, focusing on young adults representing the authenticity of their Indigenous culture.
  • Dizzy DX - A web-based clinical decision support tool for healthcare providers who evaluate people experiencing dizziness.
  • EnvioBag - A multipurpose environmentally friendly and biodegradable tote bag that is four times stronger than cotton and starts decomposing in less than two weeks.

The event will be held in the Mountain View Room of St. Peter Claver, S.J., Hall on Regis’ Northwest Denver Campus (use Entrance 4), 3333 Regis Blvd.

To learn more go to: https://www.regisinnovationchallenge.com

About Regis University

Established in 1877, Regis University is a premier, globally engaged institution of higher learning in the Jesuit tradition that prepares leaders to live productive lives of faith, meaning and service. Regis University, one of 27 Jesuit universities in the nation, has three campus locations in the Denver metro area and extensive online program offerings with more than 6,000 enrolled students. For more information, visit www.regis.edu.

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