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 on-campus at the Buik Recital Hall in Irion Hall on April 14th, 2025.
How to Submit Your Idea
The submission deadline for the Fall 2025 Bluejay Tank Competition is Friday, April 4th at 12:00 a.m. midnight. The top pitch ideas chosen by a panel will advance to the final pitch competition for a maximum of seven contestants.
Please Submit Form To:
Upcoming Events
E-celerator’s Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition Workshop
Wednesday, April 9th, 2025
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
A.C. Buehler Library, Lower Level, Room 016
In-person
Get ready to dive into the world of entrepreneurship! Our Shark Tank Pitch Workshop will equip you with the essential tools to craft a winning pitch. Learn from expert mentors, analyze successful past pitches, and network with recent winners. This workshop is your springboard to the big time, providing you with the confidence and skills to make your entrepreneurial dreams a reality and to win up to $3,000 in prizes.
E-celerator’s Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition
Monday, April 14, 2025
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Irion Hall, Buik Recital Hall
In-person
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 randomly. 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 2024 Bluejay Tank Competition.
View the Spring 2023 Bluejay Tank Competition.
Spring 2024 Prize Winners
First Place ($1,500): Jade Villalobos
- Proposed Innovation: Fashion Forecast, an app utilizing artificial intelligence to provide users with a personalized fashion experience.
Second Place ($1,000): Olamiposi Ogunbiyi
- Proposed Innovation: EasyJay, an app to make campus life smoother and serve as an alternative for university ID cards.
Third Place ($500): Brady Lucas
- Proposed Innovation: LITM, a clothing brand with a focus on mental health.
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 2023
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.
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: GrillGirlz
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.