Forward-thinking student wins spring Bluejay float competition

Elmhurst Junior University Jade Villalobos won first place in the Spring 2024 Bluejay Tank Pitch competition for her startup idea, the Fashion Forecast app, which would help users plan their outfits based on the weather, with clothes and accessories they already own .

Villalobos, a digital marketing communications student from Chicago, won $1,500 for her business proposal, which she described as a personal weather forecaster that would use artificial intelligence to create a more personalized experience for users. The app would also allow users to connect with each other, compare and share ideas. She planned to form partnerships with YouTube and Amazon and hire IT specialists from Elmhurst to help bring her vision to life.

Four Elmhurst University students competed in the spring Bluejay Tank competition, held at the Innovation DuPage business incubator in Glen Ellyn to give students exposure to the private sector's largest entrepreneurial community , said Patrick Yanahan 94, MBA 10executive in residence for Elmhurst’s E-celerator innovation and entrepreneurship program.

Each candidate presented a 10-minute presentation in front of a panel of five judges, all successful entrepreneurs who built their businesses from the ground up and were able to give students insight into the hard work and perseverance it takes to launch a business. new entity.

Olympos Ogunbiyi, a second-year cybersecurity student from Nigeria, won the second prize of $1,000. Ogunbiyi introduced EasyJay, which he described as a revolutionary mobile application designed to streamline payment processes for Elmhurst students. By integrating Tap-and-Pay technology into students' existing JayPass cards, EasyJay would reduce wait times in the cafeteria and other

campus facilities, while minimizing the risk of JayPass loss or misplacement.

Brady Lucas24, who graduated this year with a bachelor's degree in finance and is currently pursuing an MBA, received the third prize of $500. Lucas, of Lindenhurst, Illinois, launched LITM, or Live In The Moment, a subscription-based clothing line whose brand is focused on mental health awareness and support for mental health organizations and people experiencing mental illness. mental health problems. He hoped LITM would inspire people to be more positive and live in the world around them rather than in their heads.

This spring, we were pleased to see a good mix of majors among applicants, including an undergraduate in cybersecurity, digital marketing, physics, as well as an MBA student, showing that this program appeals to all specializations and unique ideas, Yanahan said.

Applicants were judged based on the jury's first impressions of the business proposal; the quality of the pitch, the content of the proposal, the quality of the digital component of the business ideas (a website, a database, an app, etc.) and the ability of each applicant to answer the judges' questions with confidence and clarity.

The quality of this semester's Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition was truly impressive, said Martin Gahbauer, executive director of the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence. He attributed his success to the Elmhurst E-celerator, which hosts the competition, and Yanahan's efforts. Now in its fourth year, the E-celerator continues to grow thanks to the committed, student-focused leadership of Patrick Yanahan, Gahbauer said.

Opportunities such as the Bluejay Tank competition provide Elmhurst students with access to active members of Chicago's entrepreneurial community, giving students a professional edge as they prepare for careers and all that lies ahead. follow.