E-celerator Bluejay Tank Competition

The Bluejay Tank seeks to provide an exciting, educational experience while challenging students’ creativity and entrepreneurship skills.

With $3,000 in prizes at stake, the winners can use their prizes to accelerate their innovative ideas to the next phase of development. The main goal of this contest is to educate students on the process of developing a well-organized presentation on a creative business idea, social enterprise or non-profit organization. Just because you present an idea does not mean that you have to pursue its creation.

This semester’s pitch will be held at Innovation DuPage, 535 Duane Street Glyn Elyn, IL Inside the Glen Ellyn civic center (red/brown brick building) campus from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on April 15.

How to Submit Your Idea

The submission deadline for the Spring 2024 Bluejay Tank Competition is Thursday April 11 at noon. The top pitch ideas chosen by a panel will advance to the final pitch competition for a maximum total of seven contestants.

DOWNLOAD THE SUBMISSION FORM

Please Submit Form To:

entrepreneurs@elmhurst.edu

Pitch Competition and Workshops

In-Person Workshop
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
A.C. Buehler Library, Lower Level, Room 016

This workshop covers your idea and submission forms and expectations.

E-celerator’s Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition

Monday, April 15, 2024
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Innovation of DuPage
535 Duane St
Glyn Elyn, IL
Inside the Glyn Ellyn civics center

The pitch competition will be in-person. You must be present to pitch and win, and must attend the whole event. Pitching order will be selected by random. The Executive in Residence will be on-call to help you with your pitches and ideas, if needed, leading up to the event.

Who is Eligible?

Students who have a creative business, social enterprise or non-profit organization idea(s)
Students who want to learn more about the process of pitching an entrepreneurial idea
Students interested in enhancing their presentation skills
Students who want to demonstrate their ability to clearly communicate an idea to a group
Students who are looking for support for their opportunity
Students who want to compete for prizes

Any current Elmhurst University student from any area of study is welcome to participate in the competition.

View the Spring 2023 Bluejay Tank Competition.

Spring 2023 Prize Winners

First Place ($1,500): Venezia Munoz

Proposed Innovation: Vivid Existence, a personalized, customizable apparel brand for creative expression.

Second Place ($1,000): Miftha Syed and Aaliya Khaja

Proposed Innovation: Instapark, an app to help students find parking spots.

Third Place ($500): Rafiul Islam Zareef

Proposed Innovation: Storyboard Inc., a web writing timeline application with interactive UX designs.

Previous Winners

Fall 2023

First Place ($1,500): Angel Garcia

Proposed Innovation: Bluejay Hatchlings: The Elmhurst Experience, a college preparation program.

Second Place ($1,000): Jessica Pavliukovecas

Proposed Innovation: TuneUp, a car service app.

Third Place ($500): Miftha Syed and Aaliya Khaja

Proposed Innovation: Instapark, an app to help students find parking spots.

Spring 2022

First Place ($1,500): Mark Picardi

Proposed Innovation: College Cleaners, kits of pre-packaged cleaning supplies delivered directly to college students at move-in time.

Second Place ($1,000): Lukas Munoz

Proposed Innovation: The Bluejay Nest, a non-profit, student-led campus food pantry.

Third Place ($500): Alec Goldberg

Proposed Innovation: Label Up, a support hub for aspiring record labels.

Fall 2021

First Place ($1,500): Christian Vanstedum

Proposed Innovation: Spark, a unique dating app

Second Place ($1,000): Lauren Laughlin

Proposed Innovation: Equitable Health, a health care advocate for the LGBTQ community.

Third Place ($500): Mark Picardi

Proposed Innovation: College Cleaners, pre-packaged cleaning supplies targeted to college students.

Spring 2021

First Place ($1,500): Mallory Burke

Proposed Innovation: Grill Girlz
GrillGirlz is a BBQ grill deep-cleaning service designed to service the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana areas.

Second Place ($1,000): Matthew Gans

Proposed Innovation: MGProductions
A student-owned and -operated photo/video marketing company that uses a superior knowledge of market wants and needs to make a company’s products stand out from the crowd.

Third Place ($500): Luis Chavez

Proposed Innovation: Scanology
This online tool provides a multitude of helpful services to high school and college students. With a simple interface and how-to guide, Scanology scans school transcripts to help students find colleges and scholarships based on their academic success and school likings. This online tool also provides a free resume and scanner that provides quick feedback.

Fall 2020

First Place: Michael Foytlin

Proposed Innovation: New Age Solutions
An automated, efficient, and intelligent tool that greatly aids new grads in finding employment through automated LinkedIn networking.

Second Place: Jasmine Lillis

Proposed Innovation: Walking Through History
This exercise app notifies the user when they are close to historical sites, and the more locations they visit the more points they can accrue to gain discount codes to local businesses and restaurants.

Third Place: Vanessa Sevilla

Proposed Innovation: United Leadership Pathway
The United Leadership Pathway is a non-profit organization, designed to develop undergraduate leaders across the country, and give colleges an extra edge by bringing the community together through shared connections and mutual ties.