WiSys selected 25 mobile app ideas as semifinalists in the 2020-2021 WiSys APPStart Challenge in December.
The contest, open to faculty, staff, students and alumni at WiSys universities (UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater), connects great mobile app ideas with the expertise and resources necessary for commercial launch.
The semifinalist ideas were submitted by:
UW-Eau Claire
- Logan Cooley, UW-Eau Claire, Alumni
Jacob Klein, UW-Whitewater, Alumni - Killian Griffin, UW-Eau Claire, Student
- Sam Fitzhenry, UW-Eau Claire, Student
Max Bossert, UW-Eau Claire, Student
Logan Ickert, UW-Eau Claire, Student
Nicholas Hersperger, UW Madison, Student - Marcy Orwig, UW-Eau Claire, Faculty
UW-Green Bay
- Lisa Wicka, UW-Green Bay, Faculty
Danielle Clarizio, UW-Stout, Staff - Brian Welsch, UW-Green Bay, Faculty
- Dinesh Yadav, UW-Green Bay, Faculty
UW-Lacrosse
- Patrick Grabowski, UW-La Crosse, Faculty
UW-Oshkosh:
- Robert Harter, UW Oshkosh, Alumni
UW-Parkside:
- Weston Knutson, UW-Parkside, Student
- Gabrielle Richardson, UW-Parkside, Student
Zaid Altahat, UW-Parkside, Faculty
Robert Barber, UW-Parkside, Faculty
UW-Platteville
- Marcia Harr Bailey, UW-Platteville, Faculty (2 ideas)
- Arghya Kusum Das, UW-Platteville, Faculty
- Yanwei Wu, UW-Platteville, Faculty
UW-River Falls
- Kurt Vogel, UW-River Falls, Faculty
UW-Stout
- Jennifer Guzzetta, UW-Stout, Student
- Rochelle Holmes, UW-Stout, Student
- Emerson Kovacs, UW-Stout, Alumni
- Vichai Xiong, UW-Stout, Student
UW-Stevens Point
- Fue Moua, UW-Stevens Point, Alumni
UW-Superior
- Jessica Smith, UW-Superior, Student
UW-Whitewater
- David Havas, UW-Whitewater, Faculty
- Anmol Karki, UW-Whitewater, Student
- Kyle Kofoed, UW-Parkside, Alumni
Seventy-three entries, with representation from each of the 11 UW System regional universities, were submitted to the challenge in October.
The ideas were evaluated by 14 judges, including corporate executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Three judges evaluated each idea.
NEXT STEPS
WiSys has invited the semifinalists to further pitch their mobile app ideas at a semifinal event in early January.
The top 10 presenters will receive a $100 prize. The top three presenters will advance to the contest finals where they will receive initial app development support and business mentorship over the course of five months from WiSys partners. The finalists will also be eligible to receive cash prizes at the end of the competition.
To find out how to watch the semifinalist’s presentations or to learn more about the WiSys APPStart Challenge, visit wisys.org/appstart.
WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works with faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UW System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs, develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the state.