Sheena Aziji, Zachary Kinsler, and Dr. Venkat Shastri (left to right).
Entrepreneurial innovation took center stage at the third annual Torero Entrepreneurship Challenge (TECh) on Wednesday, April 24th.
Hosted by the University of San Diego (USD) Shiley Marcos School of Engineering, this virtual event offers five student teams the chance to pitch their technology-based business ideas and win up to $20,000 in seed funding to fuel their entrepreneurial spirit. did.
The event began with Dean Dr. Chell Roberts, who introduced this unique entrepreneurial competition that brought together interdisciplinary student teams from across campus to pitch startups that put technology at the center of their business ideas.
TECh moderator and Professor of Practice Jeff Teza spoke about the five teams that earned their spot as finalists in the event from among the initial 13 semifinalists: Uflo, Lift Switch, SCOUT, Keys to Success, and BatteryREVIVE. Introduced.
An esteemed panel of entrepreneurs, business leaders and angel investors deliberated on the results of the five award finalists. One of the judges, Mr. Teza (alumnus Anthony Hsiao '17 (EE)), attracted attention. Mr. Shao is the CEO of Darroch Medical Solutions, a San Diego-based company that “found its roots in the USD.”
Dean Roberts and Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations Elisa Larkis shared stories and video footage honoring the donors of the Larry Kull Endowed Student Award in Engineering and Entrepreneurship.
Randy Vosti, a former senior vice president at SAIC Motor Corporation, worked directly with friends and former colleagues in a wide range of ways following the passing of Larry Kull, SAIC Motor Corporation's former chief operating officer and president. I paid tribute to him. “USD had the right mix. It was a small university for an award like this. [and] You won't get lost in the shuffle. The US dollar represents the values that Larry would have embraced. ”
In the end, Eufro won $5,000 in seed money for the Larry Cal Platinum Award as the grand prize winner. Uflo co-founders Zach Kinzler ’23 (ISyE) ’24 (MS Business Analytics), Joseph Defina ’23 (ISyE) ’24 (MS Business Analytics), and his UCSD alum Sina Azizi make their winning pitch. and demonstrated how their venture could be realized. Harness the power of learning through artificial intelligence to make learning more accessible and equitable for students.
“We are excited about this monumental step forward for Eufro,” said Kinsler, a dedicated toler who serves on the Shiley Marcos School of Engineering Alumni Board. “This funding is a lifeline that will help sustain our operations.” “And hopefully it will enable us to do the following.” We make significant contributions to the Shiley Marcos School of Engineering. The skills gained here are clearly reflected in Uflo's products, allowing everyone to be a changemaker in their own way. We believe that Uflo truly embodies the spirit of Torero. ”
A passion for snowboarding brings Josh Corvi ’25 (ME), Paxton Earl ’24 (Finance), Derek Johnson ’24 (ME), Noah Schliesman ’25 (EE), and Mitch Set ’24 (CS) together at Liftswitch I was allowed to. The team won the Larry Cull Gold Award and $4,000 for their human-centered design approach to addressing the pain points many snowboarders experience on chairlifts.
Keys to Success team members Nicole Ramirez ’25 (CS, EE) and Ana Rusk ’25 (Finance) took home the Larry Cull Silver Award and $3,000 for a do-it-yourself keyboard kit. This promotes educational curiosity in STEM fields. Innovation with a self-study component.
BetteREVIVE and SCOUT were both awarded $2,500 as the most promising teams to further build momentum in their work.
Dr. Venkat Shastri, TECh Co-Dean and De Sanctis Professor of Engineering and Entrepreneurship, launched the USD Engineering Entrepreneurship Program in 2016 and concluded the event with great pride. “It's really amazing to see it grow this far. It shows the interest and commitment our students have to entrepreneurship. He said the TECh project is one of the national I can’t wait to see it grow into a great brand!”
— Michelle Stupkai
