The Innovation Hub at Research Park hosts the TTU Accelerator Competition and Social Innovation Challenge at Discoveries to Impact.
WHAT: The Innovation Hub at Research Park hosts the TTU Accelerator Competition and the Social Innovation Challenge at Discoveries to Impact.
WHEN:
- Accelerator Competition, 9 a.m. to noon, Friday (April 14)
- Social Innovation Challenge, 2–3 p.m., Friday (April 14)
- Discoveries to Impact Closing Party and announcement of winners, 5–6:30 p.m., Friday (April 14)
WHERE: Innovation Hub at Research Park, 3911 Fourth St.
EVENT: Texas Tech University's Innovation Hub at Research Park will host 2023 Accelerator Competition and the Social Innovation Challenge on the final day of Discoveries to Impact.
The day-long competition will see 18 finalists from the Accelerator Competition and the Social Innovation Challenge compete for a place in the seventh Accelerator Program cohort. Winners will be awarded a $25,000 grant along with a place in the program, which fosters the startups from business formation to product launch with the help of 57 iTTU Mentors.
The Texas Tech Accelerator Competition supports business ventures while the Social Innovation Challenge supports socially impactful ventures. Each venture will have the chance to pitch an idea “Shark Tank” style to a panel of judges.
Winners will be announced at the Discoveries to Impact Closing Party that evening.
The competition is part of the 5th annual Discoveries to Impact Conference, a collaboration between the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE), the Innovation Hub, the Center for Integration of STEM Education Research (CISER) and the Office of Outreach & Engagement. The conference boasts events throughout the week as the four departments celebrate the impact made through undergraduate research, scholarly engagement, innovation and startups.
For more information on Discoveries to Impact or to register for events at the conference, click here.
2023 Texas Tech Accelerator Competitors
New American Fabric (NAF) | The NAF selenium fabric technology can be covalently attached to cotton and then
can catalytically generate superoxide radicals that kill bacteria without harming
tissue.
Team: Phat Tran (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) faculty), Ted Reid (TTUHSC faculty), Noureddine Abidi (Texas Tech professor) and Nick Bergfeld, (Texas Tech instructor)
Terra-Form | Terra-Form is pushing the development of mechanized formworks for sustainable rammed
earth construction applications around the globe to reduce cost, carbon footprint
and overall energy consumption.
Team: Steve Guzman (Texas Tech University System (TTU System) alumnus, community entrepreneur), and Jody Hicks (TTU System alumnus,
community entrepreneur)
AbbyRose | A patented phone case rack called the Rose Rack that showcases your phone cases
in an organized and aesthetic way.
Team: Abby Rosilier (Jerry S. Rawls College of Business student), Aubrey Rosilier (community entrepreneur) and Zack Rosilier (community entrepreneur)
Valkyrie UAS Solutions | Valkyrie UAS Solutions will develop a national blueprint for Beyond Visual Line
of Sight operations that will further enable rural healthcare, tele-health services
and shielded unmanned aircraft systems corridors.
Team: Tyson Harmon (community entrepreneur) and Catherine Self (community member)
Dog Days | An indoor/outdoor dog park to promote the health and wellness of local pets.
Team: Marqui Benavides (doctoral student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences)
Good Stuff LBK | Good Stuff LBK is an event listing directory for the Lubbock community focused
on promoting arts, culture, music, entertainment, food and small business throughout
the city in one easily accessible location.
Team: Nicholas Hay (Texas Tech alumnus)
HICE Recovery | The Hice pack is the first ever all-electric heating and cooling pad that is temperature-controlled,
mobile and adjustable to fit any part of your body.
Team: Will Stetson (Texas Tech student)
G&G Ranch | G&G Ranch was founded with a commitment to reduce labor requirements and financial
inputs of organically growing specialty-crops utilizing a protective, overhead crop-netting
system consisting of a suspended, full-enclosure insect net around a crop canopy.
Team: Gabriella Hale (doctoral student in the Department of Plant and Soil Science) and Gary Hale (community entrepreneur)
Riskcuers | Riskuers is creating a platform to automatically measure susceptibility of employees
to social engineering attacks for the purpose of estimating the premium of coverage
for data insurance.
Team: Akbar Namin (Texas Tech faculty), Keith Jones (Texas Tech faculty), and Saroj Gopali (Texas Tech doctoral student)
Soiled Myself | Premium houseplant potting soil that prioritizes sustainability and accessibility.
Team: Oliver Adamo (Texas Tech student)
Moneta | Moneta provides a software app for managing systems safety according to the High
Reliability Organization (HRO) paradigm.
Team: Tim Matis (Texas Tech faculty), Wendy Adele Humphrey (associate dean of Texas Tech School of Law) and Mark Matis (Texas A&M student)
AuroraX LLC | Inkjet-printed super-capacitors for solid-state energy storage solution that is
safe, inexpensive, quick to recharge, high energy-density, and does not degrade.
Team: Bashir Morshed (Texas Tech faculty) and Moriom R. Momota (Texas Tech doctoral student)
Hometown Hats Co. | Hometown Hats Co. is focused on providing apparel products to allow customers to
represent not only where they call home but also their favorite places around the
United States.
Team: Daniel Hernandez (Texas Tech alumnus), J. Tom Snelson (community member) and Phillip
Ortiz (community member)
Pontos | Pontos is a collapsible kayak that increases the accessibility of outdoor recreation
and paddle sports.
Team: Adam Mulsow (Texas Tech alumni) Amanda Mulsow (community member), Will Bednarz (community
member) and Lindsey Ring (community member)
Dymedrop | Dymedrop is a platform for selling content-rich tickets for event based-attractions.
Team: Blake Hicks (Texas Tech alumnus) and Brooke Hicks (community member)
2023 Social Innovation Challenge Competitors
WaxNext | WaxNext is an e-commerce retailer dedicated to offering luxury and exclusive items
– clothing and shoes, accessories, home goods, décor and art – made by sustainable
African brands and designers that are not easily accessible to customers.
Team: Germaine Njoh (Texas Tech doctoral student)
Agrivoltaics Royalty | CleanCo Energie, Inc, is an agrivoltaics-project operating company that is developing
a cash flow royalty system called the Agrivoltaics Royalty, which pays above and beyond
a typical solar land lease.
Team: Blake Mendez (community member)
Small Town Science | A nonprofit company that provides science education resources for ambitious youth
in areas of low economic resources, particularly rural areas.
Team: Dylan Eralie (Texas Tech doctoral student) and Ryan Eralie
