ABQ Times

Teams of university students recently presented their business and startup ideas at the Lobo Rainforest Building, winning cash prizes to support their entrepreneurial efforts. The 2024 Pitch Deck Competition was co-hosted by UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI) and the UNM Innovation Academy. This event provided a platform for student entrepreneurs to showcase their early-stage companies and innovations.

UNMRI, the University of New Mexico’s technology transfer and economic-development organization, collaborated with the UNM Innovation Academy, which offers entrepreneurial studies programs, to organize the competition. Sponsored by the UNM Rainforest Innovations Board of Directors, the event attracted student entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their ventures. A total prize pool of $20,000 was distributed among five finalists who pitched their ideas to a panel of investor judges. Additionally, a special $2,000 prize from the UNM Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands (ARID) Institute was awarded for excellence in resilience-related innovations.

UNM President Garnett S. Stokes delivered opening remarks, followed by Lisa Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer of UNM Rainforest Innovations. The judging panel consisted of Chris Japp from Tramway Venture Partners; Yeri Lopez from J2 Ventures; and John Stormont from TS-Nano, Inc., who is also a distinguished professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at UNM.

The winners were as follows:

First Place ($10,000 Prize) – CampusCore: Charles Aguirre (Psychology), Dorian Obisike (Computer Science), and Evan Widner (Finance) from UNM.

Second Place ($5,000 Prize) – TerraMind: Elizabeth Kent (Business Administration) from UNM.

Third Place ($2,500 Prize) – Portal: Gabriel Gurule (Mechanical Engineering) from UNM.

Finalist ($1,250 Prize) – Mimir: James Michael (Biomedical Engineering) from UNM.

Finalist ($1,250 Prize) – LoboLocate: Pradip Basnet (Business Administration) and Aayush Kafle (Computer Science) from UNM.

ARID Special Award ($2,000 Prize) – GreenGro Media: Joshua Zamora-Griego (Business) and Alex Coker (Mechanical Engineering) from UNM.

“This year, we were very impressed by the participants’ pitches and innovative ideas,” remarked Lisa Kuuttila. “These university students have bright futures ahead of them, and we hope these awards will help support their growth.”

Pitch deck competitions differ from traditional elevator pitches by incorporating visual aids that highlight a new company’s business plan or startup vision. The aim is to attract potential investors' attention and provide entrepreneurs with valuable experience presenting their ideas. Judges evaluated criteria such as value proposition clarity, market fit validity, and understanding of required capital investment for commercialization.