The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business awarded over $30,000 this semester to students competing in the annual St. Thomas Business Plan Competition.
The competition featured three categories: Business Plan (Undergraduate), Business Plan (Graduate), and the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, which supports social ventures. Participants submitted a 15-page business proposal and proceeded to the presentation stage, where they delivered a 10-minute pitch followed by an 8-minute Q&A session.
“This journey was very influential in my personal growth and in honing my business development and pitch skills, and I am very grateful for this experience,” said Nadia Owens '27, an entrepreneurship and marketing major who was a 1st Place Winner of the Schulze Business Plan Competition in the undergraduate division.
Owens' project was Green Threads Africa, which she said "is committed to combating the negative effects of fast fashion waste in Africa by connecting talented Kenyan artisans who upcycle fast fashion waste into unique, handmade products such as clothing and accessories with eco-conscious consumers globally." The mission is to promote sustainability, ethical consumption, and cultural heritage while supporting African communities and encouraging impactful, conscious fashion choices.
The competition offers students the opportunity to refine their business plans and get valuable feedback from industry experts.
“This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the invaluable guidance of my mentors and the hard work of the competition organizers,” said Mellissa Ingabire, a mechanical engineering graduate student, adding that the feedback she received beginning with the Business Concept Challenge was truly invaluable.
Her project, MenyaSTEM, is an initiative based in Rwanda that provides school-aged children with STEM education kits.
“What makes this win so meaningful is the opportunity it creates for students across Rwanda,” she said. “Every milestone we reach with Menya STEM means more young people gain access to quality, hands-on STEM education that prepares them for the future.”
Three winners were recognized in each category, with special commendations awarded to competitors who demonstrated exceptional creativity and potential.
Business Plan Competition – Undergraduate Division
- First Place: Green Threads Africa – Nadia Owens '27 (Entrepreneurship & Marketing). Green Threads Africa is an upcycled fashion initiative designed to connect Kenyan artists.
- Second Place: Berry Marketing Co. – Quincy Anderson '27 (Entrepreneurship). Berry Marketing Co. is a social media agency dedicated to empowering small businesses with affordable, high-impact digital marketing.
- Third Place: Green Gear – Noah MacDonald '26 (Financial Management & Economics) and Natalie Larson '26 (Financial Management & Economics). Green Gear is a sustainable outdoor clothing brand.
Special commendations were awarded to AiLume, an AI-powered educational assistant developed by Joshua Mburu '27 (Computer Science), and ACADS: an AI-driven software for choosing college majors developed by Parnian Semsar '27 (Computer Science).
Business Plan Competition-Graduate & Recent Alumni Division:
- First Place: MenyaSTEM – Mellissa Ingabire '25 (MSC Mechanical Engineering). MenyaSTEM is an initiative based in Rwanda that provides school-aged children with STEM education kits.
- Second Place: Personify – Michael Rota '26 (Data Science). Personify is a platform for professors to mitigate the usage of artificial intelligence in homework assignments.
- Third Place: Boundless Dental – Boundless Dental Bus is a mobile dental clinic staffed with University of Minnesota dental students that seeks to provide dental care to Minnesota prisons.
Special Commendations were awarded to The Purposed Care: a healthcare matching app created by Peace Olowkere '22 (Neuroscience), and Superfake, a franchise of upcycled fashion studio spaces created by Maria Johnson '24 (Entrepreneurship).
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge
- First Place: Grow with Flora – Justina Palmer '24 (Entrepreneurship & Real Estate) and Payton Maas '24 (Entrepreneurship & Finance). Grow with Flora is a period and puberty education app designed for girls ages 8-14.
- Second Place: Green Gear – Noah MacDonald '26 (Financial Management & Economics) and Natalie Larson '26 (Financial Management & Economics). Green Gear is a sustainable outdoor clothing brand.
- Third Place: NeuraLume – Sophia Pung '27 (Computer Engineering). NeuraLume uses wearable neural technology to assist individuals with motor disabilities.
Special commendations were awarded to On Call Hero, a healthcare staffing program created by Tyler Revolinski ’26 (Biology), and Engaged Senior Scheduling App: a social innovation platform for seniors created by Laura Saba ’26 (Healthcare MBA) and Denise Borgland ’26 (Healthcare MBA).
