McDaniel students compete for $5K top prize at annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge

Five McDaniel student finalists compete Tuesday, April 29, for a $5,000 top prize by presenting their entrepreneurial ideas and innovative products to a panel of experts at the annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge. A prize of $1,000 will also be given to the People’s Choice winner. The event, which is sponsored by the McDaniel Women's Leadership Network, will also be streamed live by the Community Media Center.

A prize of $1,000 will also be given to the People’s Choice winner.

The event, which is free and open to the public, takes place at 7 p.m. in Naganna Forum, Roj Student Center.

It will also be streamed live by the Community Media Center on their website, on cable channel HD-1072, and on the Community Media Center’s YouTube.

Watch the livestream on Tuesday, April 29, at 7 p.m.

Click here

The evening's event is sponsored by the McDaniel Women's Leadership Network.

Leading up to the event, the five finalists participated in McDaniel’s eight-week Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge Training Program led by McDaniel’s entrepreneur-in-residence Jennifer Yang. Each student was paired with an alumni mentor and a faculty mentor to assist them in developing their ideas and getting ready for the competition. All finalists who successfully complete all requirements for participating in the Innovation Challenge are awarded $800.

The five finalists are:

ASL Dictionary Presented by senior Jaden Silverman

Jaden Silverman is an American Sign Language major from Manhattan, New York.

ASL Dictionary is an educational app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and select software to provide right-on-the-spot feedback for signing.

Customizable Sport Soles Presented by senior Carter Shipley

Carter Shipley is a Business Administration major from Westminster, Maryland.

Customizable Sport Soles are designed for optimal comfort and performance, allowing athletes to personalize their footwear experience for any activity or terrain.

Esheel Presented by junior Sana Askari

Sana Askari is a Political Science, Business Administration, and Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies major from Ghazni, Afganistan.

Esheel is a social enterprise that creates hand-embroidered scarves and earrings, using embroidery techniques indigenous to and deeply rooted in Hazara Culture.

The Path of Mictlan Presented by senior Axel Mendoza

Axel Mendoza is a senior Art major from Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico.

The Path of Mictlan is an independent comic book venture dedicated to creating, printing, promoting, and selling a high-quality series that blends supernatural mystery with Mexican folklore.

Wring Presented by senior Bairon Flores

Bairon Flores is a Cinema major from Frederick, Maryland.

Wring is a new structure using cooling technology crafted into a comfortable ski mask that provides three to four hours of cooling and UPF 50 sunlight protection for employees working outdoors in high temperatures and blistering sunlight.

The judges who will choose the winners include:

Graham Dodge, a serial entrepreneur and patented inventor, is vice president of venture development at TEDCO, managing Maryland’s venture capital funds. His department is responsible for helping Maryland startups become investment-ready, as well as supporting entrepreneur support organizations to do the same by driving strategic collaborations, supporting entrepreneurial innovation, and defining strategies to leverage networks and resources for innovative success. Dodge previously served as the executive director of MAGIC (Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory).
Greg Merril '87 is a self-described serial entrepreneur. An inventor with 22 issued patents, Merril started his career in the life sciences industry two weeks after graduating from McDaniel by founding HT Medical Systems (now Immersion - NASDAQ: IMMR). He has raised over $230 million in equity and non-dilutive capital and is also the founding CEO of Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT, now BiomX – NYSE: PHGE), Interaction Labs, and Brain Sentry. He is currently managing partner of Velocity Biofund. Merril has achieved international recognition, including being named an Ernst & Young regional Entrepreneur of the Year, and was a recipient of McDaniel’s Alumni Professional Achievement Award in 2023.
Kim Samuelson spent over 30 years in the IT industry before retiring to raise her children. She has started a second career as executive director of MAGIC (Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory), a nonprofit organization that works to spur tech and entrepreneurial activity in Carroll County. In her current role, she educates and advocates for a new generation of technology professionals and entrepreneurs. Her goal is to empower and support individual ideas, which in turn promotes the overall prosperity and resilience of a community.

The master of ceremonies is Kathleen Pratt, adjunct lecturer in Economics and Business Administration and faculty advisor of the college’s Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

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