OU teams compete in national “shark tank” competition

Two student entrepreneur teams from the University of Oklahoma are set to compete in a ‘Shark Tank’ style competition in Minneapolis, with a shot at the $50,000 first prize to help get their invention into the marketplace.

 Side Coach Sports is a platform that connects college athletes to youth athletes for private lessons.

ThinkPot pioneers indoor gardening with a smart, self-sustaining plant pot and connected mobile app, transforming plant care into an effortless, educational journey. Aiming to foster a deeper understanding of botany and sustainability, ThinkPot revolutionizes how plant enthusiasts nurture and sustain their plant companions.

The teams ‘Side Coach Sports’ and ‘ThinkPot’ will go up against 23 other teams from colleges across the US on Saturday, April 20, 2024, with a total of $215,000 in prize money on the line. The competition is called the ‘Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge,’ named for main benefactor Richard M. ‘Dick’ Schulze, founder of Best Buy and part of the three-day e-Fest, one of the largest undergraduate student business plan competitions in the world.

Students will participate in multiple competitions over the three-day event – the Pitch Slam! where one member from each team will give a 90-second elevator pitch on their business venture, the Innovation Challenge, where teams comprised of students across participating universities will develop a solution to a specific issue, and finally, the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, the business plan competition where teams compete for their share of $125k in cash.

In total, among the four competitions, $215k in cash is awarded, making e-Fest one of the largest undergraduate student business plan competitions in the world.