Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge

Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge is a hack-a-thon style competition where students come up with an innovative business solution for a problem and then pitch it for the change to win an award! We are looking for students to collaborate, create interdisciplinary teams, and develop innovative solutions to big problems. Sign up to participate and learn more below!

Sign Up Here

How to Participate!

To participate, students must:

  1. Complete this application by March 27th. Sign up here!
  2. Attend a kickoff event on March 28th
  3. Form interdisciplinary 3-5 person teams during kickoff.
  4. Attend a mentorship meeting and get feedback on how to improve your idea and pitch.
  5. Pitch the solution on April 3rd

Important Dates / Competition Schedule

Kickoff
The competition begins Friday March 28th a session on how to come up with an innovative idea; a session on work well within teams across disciplines; learn about the problem prompts; and form teams.
Date: Friday, March 28th
Time: 4-8 p.m.
Location: CBB 328/330

Customer Ecosystem and Planning Workshop
This workshop will help you understand how your customer will inform your solution and how to roll out the building of your solution.
Date: Saturday, March 29th
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: CBB 328/330

Mentorship Meeting #1
Your team will meet 1-on-1 with a mentor to get feedback on your idea and how to improve your pitch.
Date: Monday, March 31st
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: CBB 330/328

Mentorship Meeting #2
Second mentorship meeting to go over pitch draft feedback and prepare for final pitch
Date: April 2nd
Time: Appointment Based (Virtual)

Final Pitch/Award Ceremony
Students pitch their innovative solution to a panel of judges and the winners are selected.
Date: April 3rd
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: CEMO 101

Award Breakdown

First Place: $2000
Second Place: $1250
Third Place: $750

Judging Criteria

  • Team explained the problem they have chosen.
  • Team has described the solution so that a general audience can understand what they are working on.
  • Team has identified and described a target market/customer and that the market is sufficiently sized to support the business/business idea.
  • Team had identified an innovative solution to solve the problem
  • Team has identified a viable solution to solve the problem
  • Team has prepared a high quality pitch.

Pitch Requirements

  • Teams have 5 minutes to present
  • 5 Minute Judge Q&A
  • 5 to 10 slides
  • Sketch/Design of product highly encouraged but not required
  • At least two team members in all workshops and mentorship meetings
  • All team members must be current UH students

Idea Wars: Innovation Challenge is cohosted by Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, RED Labs, and Founders’ Club. You can email liana@redlabs.uh.edu for any questions about the pitch competition and can go to the WCE Founders’ Club website to learn more about the organization and how to become a member.