Student-led businesses competed for over $100,000 in prize money — including a $50,000 grand prize — at the Edward K. Aldag, Jr. Student Business Plan Competition April 8-10.
The annual competition took place in a hybrid format, with teams first presenting to judges virtually, then select teams moving on to an in-person pitch and Q&A session. In addition to prize money, teams benefited from networking, coaching and feedback from business leaders.
A total of 96 teams applied and were given feedback on their presentation drafts as well as access to an AI feedback tool. They were then asked to create and upload a 10-minute video and final presentation. From the initial applications, 64 teams qualified and competed in a virtual event, and 32 teams were selected to move on to the final, in-person competition. The competition has 26 different awards, ranging from $500 to the grand prize of $50,000.
This year’s winning teams, by award category, are:
Grand Prize Room
Grand Prize ($50,000)
Boost
Led by cofounders Max McNally and Anthony Sherman, Boost is a natural gum company with a licensed, patented formula for a chewing gum that can produce antioxidants. Boost sells all-natural chewing gum directly to consumers through various channels, most notably social media platforms.
First Place ($5,000)
MoCurá
MoCurá creates cut-resistant athletic gear that prioritizes both safety and performance. The flagship product is a lightweight base layer shirt with built-in cut-resistant protection at the neck and wrists, designed to be breathable, comfortable and game-ready. UA student-athlete Chris Moehlenpah is the founder and CEO.
Second Place ($3,000)
Coop’s Property Maintenance
Helmed by MBA student Brody Barnett and Nathan Cooper, Coop’s Property Maintenance solves one of the most frustrating and costly problems property managers face — coordinating multiple unreliable vendors to complete unit turns on time and at a consistent quality — with a fully bundled “turn package,” which includes junk removal, drywall repair, painting, cleaning and carpet cleaning, delivered by trained, in-house crews.
Third Place ($2,000)
Crank
A new social media app, Crank is a campus social platform that connects students to real-time events, bars and nightlife through live check-ins, community engagement and gamified social competition. Users can discover what’s happening now, earn points for participation and compete on leaderboards while experiencing the best of campus social life. Crank was founded by UA senior Russell Malone and cofounder Bobby Hardester, counts Karlie Aver, Charlie Merrell, Ava Barrientez and Ryann Turner on the team, and is supported by the UA Business Honors Program.
Established Concept Room
First Place ($5,000)
SoHara
Shane Vanderhagen, Caleb Messerly
Second Place ($3,000)
AI Angel, LLC
Felipe Angel, Jay Roy
Third Place ($2,000)
AirStatus One
Gregory Allen
Best New Idea Room 1
First Place ($2,500)
Click & Close, LLC
Wyatt Pehlman, Shelby Yousey, Matthew Cotting
Second Place ($1,500)
ShadowLog
Lila Chamberlain, Grace Puckett, Jon Numani, Christian John Barr Colwell, Date Peterson
Third Place ($1,000)
Trustworthy Tutoring
Melina Stafford
Best New Idea Room 2
First Place ($2,500)
Tellbloom AI
Gavin Lorenzo
Second Place ($1,500)
RoomiCheck
Aruzhan Shynarbek, Jacob Sherrill, Griwan Dhakal
Third Place ($1,000)
Untethered Initiative
Luke Shorrock, Noah Luttrell, Hadley Shields
Alabama Power Foundation Innovation Technology Award
First Place ($5,000)
Motion+
Zander Davidson, Jesse Park, Sandra Onyishi, Aaron Sharp
Second Place ($3,000)
ShadowLog
Lila Chamberlain, Grace Puckett, Jon Numani, Christian John Barr Colwell, Date Peterson
Third Place ($2,000)
Vera Biotech, LLC
Alexandra Avera
NASA Patent Award
First Place ($2,500)
SoundSelect
Jennifer Porter, Lila Jane Bonds, Naomi Thomas
Second Place ($1,500)
Aeroband
Chase Carda, Donovan Timm, Heide Xu, Madeline Murphy
Bob and Jean Merritt Repurpose Award ($10,000)
GearUP!
Mattison Frick
Dr. Mark Weaver Non-Profit/Social Entrepreneur Award ($2,000)
Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation
Syndey Blackhurst
University of Alabama Athletic Entrepreneur Award
First Place ($2,500)
Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation
Syndey Blackhurst
Second Place ($1,500)
MoCurá
Chris Moehlenpah, Katelynn Manning
Third Place ($1,000)
GearUP!
Mattison Frick
Additional Awards
Best Teamwork Award ($500)
Crank
Russell Malone, Karlie Aver, Charlie Merrell, Ava Barrientez, Ryann Turner
Best New Idea Award ($500)
Trustworthy Tutoring
Melina Stafford
Crowd Favorite Award ($500)
Boost
Max McNally, Anthony Sherman
Social Entrepreneur Award ($500)
Refraction
Meghan Kellem
Learn more about the Edward K. Aldag, Jr. Student Business Plan Competition and Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute.