HAYS — A team of students from Fort Hays State narrowly edged out a University of Connecticut team in the inaugural Werth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Nov. 29. The event, sponsored by Peter Werth in collaboration with FHSU’s Department of Applied Technology, challenged participants from FHSU and UCONN with developing start-up business plans focused on sustainable energy, particularly in inventing, designing, and manufacturing portable charging station.
Team members included Bryce Steffan, Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) student, Ellinwood; Tuley Gilliand, KAMS student, Holton; John Brody Groves, senior, Tonganoxie; Austin Radke, sophomore, Halstead; Sullivan Kelly, senior, Davenport, Iowa; and Joey Olsen, senior, Olathe. KAMS is an early college program designed for STEM-focused high school students.
The first-place team received $15,000 in prize money, with the second-place team receiving $10,000.
Students were judged on presentation style, business plan summary, and founder(s) and venture viability. FHSU’s business plan, True Sustainable Energy, focused on a permanent charging station called the “WattSpot,” a charging station that combines green energy technology, comfort of nature, and ease of work into one concept. UCONN’s team created “Solar Sync,” an ADA-compliant charging station that included LED lighting and an e-scooter charging station.
Eric Deneault, associate professor of engineering design technology at FHSU, served as chief organizer and host for the challenge.
“The accomplishments of FHSU and UNCONN students are a testament to their exceptional talents, reflecting positively on their respective universities,” Deneault said. “The experience has been one-of-a-kind, offering valuable educational insight for all participants.
According to one of the event’s judges, Gary Shorman, President, Schmidt Foundation and Chairman of the Board/Chief Development Officer, Eagle Communications, FHSU’s inclusion of a financial plan gave them a slight edge over UCONN.
“When it got to the investor side of things, there was only one team (FHSU) that had a spreadsheet that shows what happens year after year,” Shorman said. “If I was going to invest in the business, I would want to know that information. That was the deciding factor.”
“I am excited about the future evolution of this challenge and the potential for a lasting partnership, fostering entrepreneurship and collaboration among bright young minds from different institutions,” Deneault said. “I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Peter Werth for sponsoring the event, UCONN for their participation, the judges, and my administration for their continued support of undergraduate research and entrepreneurship. Truly a team effort.”
