HiQ Basketball wins $5K top prize at McDaniel's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge

2022 Innovation Challenge HiQ Basketball Josh Arruda — HiQ Basketball presented by senior Joshua Arruda, Accounting, Economics, and Business Administration triple major, earned the $5,000 top prize as the first place winner of McDaniel’s sixth annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge and got $1,000 as the People’s Choice winner. Pictured with President Julia Jasken and Mike Looney, director of the Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

UPDATE: HiQ Basketball presented by senior Joshua Arruda, Accounting, Economics, and Business Administration triple major from Morrisville, Pa., earned the $5,000 top prize as the first place winner of McDaniel’s sixth annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge and got $1,000 as the People’s Choice winner. HiQ Basketball is a subscription service for youth athletes, leveraging existing online platforms, to deliver Basketball IQ Training at basketball camps and to individuals.

Aunt Fancy’s presented by sophomore Laura Vonella, Art-Communication major with a minor in Entrepreneurship from New Oxford, Pa., received $1,000 as the runner-up.

Dspence LLC presented by sophomore Kiyara Fleming, Sociology major from Baltimore, was the $1,000 Community Changer award recipient.

The five finalists also participated in McDaniel’s five-week Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge Training Program leading up to the competition.

On Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m., McDaniel students with unique business proposals will compete in the annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge. The 2022 competitors present in front of a panel of experts to win a $5,000 grand prize. The runner-up earns $1,000, while two additional categories, People’s Choice and Community Changer, also earn $1,000.

The event, located in the Naganna Forum of the Roj Student Center, is open to the public. You can also tune in to the virtual livestream of the event. To get the link, please email dferraris@mcdaniel.edu.

In the month before the event, the selected students engage in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge Training Program, led by Jennifer Yang, McDaniel’s entrepreneur-in-residence. The five-week program pairs each student with a mentor — alumni, faculty member, or local business owner — who assists them in developing their ideas in the lead-up to the competition.

The five finalists are:

Crooked Creations Presented by sophomores Nick Foley and Julia Hurlock

Foley is a Communication major with a minor in Environmental Studies from Robbinsville, New Jersey. Hurlock is a Marketing and Business Administration double major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from Elkridge, Maryland.

Crooked Creations creates layered candles and pride-themed boxes to support the LGBTQIA+ community. “One of our objectives is for everyone to be accepted,” according to Foley.

Dspence LLC Presented by sophomore Kiyara Fleming

Fleming is a Sociology major from Baltimore.

Dspence LLC creates clothing inspired by historical Black missionaries, to inspire education on Black history through fashion. “In today’s society, Black history isn’t really taught in schools, so you have to choose to educate yourself. Our main goal is to spread knowledge,” according to Fleming.

Aunt Fancy’s Presented by sophomore Laura Vonella

Vonella is an Art - Communication dual major with a minor in Entrepreneurship from New Oxford, Pennsylvania.

Aunt Fancy’s sells honey and bee products, with plans to establish a physical store location — “Imagine a shop where a whole wall is an observation hive,” says Vonella.

Friendly Neighborhood Services App Presented by junior Colin Hartlieb

Hartlieb is a Business Administration major from Westminster, Maryland.

Friendly Neighbor Services is an on-demand service providing platform that connects homeowners with providers offering up to 300 essential services like dog walking, lawn care, and snow removal. “I am so passionate about this business, and I’ve spent over 1,500 hours over five months on it, never losing focus,” Hartlieb adds.

HiQ Basketball Presented by senior Joshua Arruda

Arruda is an Accounting, Economics, and Business Administration triple major from Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

HiQ Basketball is a subscription service for youth athletes, leveraging existing online platforms, to deliver Basketball IQ Training at basketball camps and to individuals.

The judges who will choose the winning teams are:

Brooke Hagerty, an Institute for Integrative Nutrition trained health coach and owner of The Chick, which is a catering company in Westminster, Maryland, focused on healthy food and wellness. Hagerty has over 30 years of experience in the catering industry and offers cooking classes and pantry makeovers through The Chick.
Rosa Rivera-Hainaj, provost of McDaniel College, oversees both academic and campus life, including undergraduate and graduate programs, student services, as well as the Center for Experience and Opportunity and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She recently served as associate vice president of academic affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
Jason Stambaugh ’07, director of partner experience at DTS Connex, a cash management consulting company, and also director of SaaS Enterprise, a platform that services customers in retail, financial markets, and education sectors. He is a former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at McDaniel.

The competition is part of the Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Aimed at developing core entrepreneurial skills, this academic program is open to students of any major. Through the program, students have access to the entrepreneur-in-residence, alumni connections, mini grants, and other events like the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge. McDaniel students can also choose to minor in Entrepreneurship or major or minor in Marketing.

Mike Looney, lecturer in Business Administration and Economics, is the director of the Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His courses include topics in starting a business, ethics, innovation, and investing. He has more than 30 years of experience in the retirement plan services industry and is the founder and current manager of Chesapeake Benefit Partners. He serves as the master of ceremonies at the event.