Elmhurst University junior scores $1500 prize with “Fashion Forecast” pitch at Bluejay Tank

The Elmhurst University E-celerator program hosted its Spring 2024 Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition at Innovation DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois on April 15.

A total of four contestants, all EU students, each delivered a 10-minute elevator pitch to a panel of five judges with a wide variety of entrepreneurial experience, hoping to receive funding for their entrepreneurial aspirations.

This year, each contestant was also required to incorporate a “digital element,” such as a compatible app or website for their product or service.

In the end, Jade Villalobos, from the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, earned the first-place prize of $1,500.

Villalobos, a junior majoring in digital marketing communication, outlined her vision for a “Fashion Forecast” app, which she described as a “personal meteorologist” that would rival similar services like Brella and Weather Fit by utilizing artificial intelligence to provide a “personalized experience” for every user.

Villalobos envisions YouTuber sponsorships, a partnership with Amazon, and even hiring EU students majoring in computer science to help her bring her vision to life.

One of the judges particularly praised Villalobos’s “amazing” presentation, as well as her ability to demonstrate passion for her company and dress the part.

Villalobos thanked her friends, family, and professors, many of whom were in attendance, for their support and encouragement and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

Olamiposi Ogunbiyi, a sophomore majoring in cybersecurity, walked away with the second-place prize of $1,000.

Ogunbiyi, an international student from Nigeria, impressed the judges with his pitch for “EasyJay,” an app that would essentially eliminate the “hassle” of lost or misplaced ID cards and serve as an alternative to a Jaypass.

Moreover, the app would employ geolocation technology to make transactions easier and campus life “smoother” for students, staff, and faculty alike.

Brady Lucas, a recent graduate of EU who is currently pursuing an MBA, took home the third-place prize of $500.

Lucas, who hails from Lindenhurst, Illinois, expressed to the judges his idea for “LITM,” a clothing brand with a focus on mental health apparel, noting that one in every three adults between the ages of 18 and 25 suffers from a mental health illness.

According to Lucas, he opted to focus on a “growing sector in a mature industry” to achieve his goal of inspiring people “to live in the moment, embrace positivity, and find fulfillment in the world around them.”

Patrick Yanahan, EU’s Executive in Residence and the event’s emcee, noted that there was only a two-point difference between second and third place this year.

The judges also heard from Tina Imanlihen, a sophomore majoring in physics and civil engineering, who pitched her idea for “Thrillfinder,” a travel agency that recommends travel destinations for users based on “personal preference,” rather than relying on AI.

Imanlihen was inspired by her own travel experiences; specifically, the time she enjoyed at an immersive, albeit lesser-known, location in Italy. Likewise, Imanlihen wants users to resonate with the “unsung” places of the world.

Yanahan concluded the event by thanking everyone involved, from the diverse panel of experienced judges to Sarpino’s Pizzeria for providing complimentary food and drinks for the occasion.

With the judges’ feedback and $3,000 divided among the contestants, only time will tell where these hopeful entrepreneurs take their ideas next.