UF Innovative Leadership Challenge Winners Announced

The University of Findlay College of Business hosted its first Innovative Leadership Challenge where 11 teams made it to the final round on April 11 in the Center for Student Life and College of Business Atrium. Formerly known as the Innovation Competition, which was similar to Shark Tank, the Innovative Leadership Challenge provided an extra focus on leadership in addition to overall business skills.
Open to all University students, participants chose a category to compete in: Innovative Leadership, Innovative Business and Student Organization Case Study. In the final round, winners were selected by a panel of business leaders from the community including Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, CEO and president of Garner Trucking, Inc.; Leigh Esper, Center for Civic Engagement executive director; Blake Martin, art director for AR Marketing; and Ron Zydonik, director of product application and development for Rowmark.
The following finalists received cash awards:
Innovative Leadership
1^st – Leadership Program. Logan Chapman and Natalie Swift’s Leadership Program would promote leadership on campus and recognize student leaders with a leadership cord upon graduation.
2^nd – Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Abigail Starcher proposed establishing a SADD chapter at the University that would work with Findlay City Schools to promote peer-to-peer education while contributing to various school and community projects.
3^rd – Innovative Event Planning Club. Christy Wickiser and Tyler Adkins proposed a student-club designed to engage University students in hands-on learning experiences by assisting existing student-led organizations to create and enhance campus events.

Innovative Business
1^st – Lunchbox. Presented by Christy Wickiser and Tyler Adkins, Lunchbox would save time for busy parents by delivering a week’s worth of prepared and pre-packaged lunches to their doorstep.
2^nd – Bioreactor. To provide a cleaner and more environmentally safe alternative for scrapping food waste, Aaron Overhiser and Drew Garverick’s Bioreactor business model would turn food and organic waste into biofuel and compost.
3^rd – Unity Coaching. Josh Burton and Sergio Palacio presented a one-to-one sports coaching organization that would connect young athletes with college student-athletes for private coaching. Their plan includes a website or software for young athletes to easily schedule sessions with college athletes in any sport that the University offers.

Student Organization Case Study
The finalists in the case study category came up with a solution to a problem in order to demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills.
1^st – Sydney Brown and Laura Harper
2^nd – Morgan Hollabaugh, Gabrielle Hopkins, Shelby Wilder and Addison Henry

Overall Best Leadership Concept – Unity Coaching. Presented by Josh Burton and Sergio Palacio.