SeattleU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center

🏆 The Jones Idea Challenge winners are here! 🎉

We are thrilled to celebrate the teams that took home the win at this incredible innovation and entrepreneurship event:

🥇 ReEarthable — Lisa K. & Kate S.
🥈 City of Seattle — Mauriane B., Vallon B., Joyce D. & Stephanie N.
🥉 Peferd — Jaden W., Shreya G. & Bawan B.

Congratulations to these amazing teams! 👏 Your creativity, hard work, and dedication were truly inspiring to witness.

A huge thank you to all the companies that participated and trusted in this process — your commitment is what makes this challenge possible. 🙌
- Aircare International
- City of Seattle
- Immersive Grounds, Inc
- nitecapp
- Pagliacci Pizza
- Peferd Inc.
- Ecoplas® by REearthable®
- Seattle University Campus Store

And of course, a massive shoutout to all the coaches who guided, supported, and pushed each team to be their very best. Your impact is felt in every single one of these wins. 💡

So proud of everyone who showed up and gave it their all. This is just the beginning! 🚀

Last Friday we had the pleasure of hosting Sarah J. Ritter at Founder Friday for a conversation that was equal parts inspiring, practical, and very on-the-pulse. We talked about AI beyond the hype, how it’s actually showing up in real workflows today, and what it really means to build with it,not just talk about it.

Sarah shared her perspective on vibe coding, experimenting in public, and using creative projects as a way to explore new tech without waiting for permission or perfection.

She also walked us through some of her current projects, including her books and creative work and how curiosity + consistency can compound into meaningful outcomes over time.

Big takeaway of the day:
You don’t need a massive team or perfect tools to start building, just momentum, intention, and the willingness to learn as you go.

Huge thanks to Sarah for sharing her work, her thinking, and her energy with our community, and to everyone who joined us and made the conversation so rich. 🚀

More Founder Fridays coming soon 👀

JIC 2026 Kickoff Recap ✨
Huge thank you to the companies who joined us and shared their challenges with our students — we’re grateful for your time, ideas, and partnership in making this experience possible.

Thank you to:
- Aircare International
- City of Seattle
- Immersive Grounds, Inc
- nitecapp
- Pagliacci Pizza
- Peferd Inc.
- ecoPLAS® by REearthable®
- Seattle University Campus Store
- Story Fruition, LLC

A great start to the JIC journey , excited for what’s ahead 🚀

This is your last call to register for
the Jones Idea Challenge Kickoff Event.

📅 Friday, January 30
⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM (PST)
📍 Seattle University – ADAL, Rolfe Room

At the Kickoff, you’ll:
Hear real company problem pitches
Choose a project to work on
Form a team and compete for $5,000 in cash prizes

⏰ Registration closes Friday at 4:00 PM.

Register here:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?i
d=UuAQvBywSUiZZ-5-x0_J2NweauRtiFlAsqQls6p9
eYdUNzRZUk00TEg5T0lZN0dLUDRXVkg4NUhOMC4u

🔔 Upcoming FBX Executive Seminar

Join us for a special in-person conversation with two iconic Pacific Northwest family business leaders:
Denise Moriguchi, President & CEO, Uwajimaya
Jasmine Donovan, President & CEO, Dick’s Drive-In

📅 Thursday, January 22, 2026
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM (PST)
📍 Seattle University – Casey Building, Room 530

This seminar offers students the opportunity to learn directly from executive leaders about leading family businesses across generations while balancing tradition, innovation, and long-term resilience.

👉 Register here: https://events.seattleu.edu/event/family-business-exchange-seminar-ceos-of-dicks-and-uwajimaya

Calling all undergraduates!
The Jones Idea Challenge is your chance to take on an intrapreneurial problem from real companies, collaborate in a small team, and pitch your innovative solution.
Compete for $5,000 in cash prizes and connect with business professionals who want to work with students like you.
🗓️ Entry deadline and kickoff event: January 30, 4–6 p.m.
https://bit.ly/4oShMDM

Are you ready to make an impact?
Join the 2025 Global Business Plan Competition, co-hosted by St. Joseph’s Institute of Management (India) and Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics.
Registration closes October 31!
Link → bit.ly/42NRFpy

Collaborate with students from Spain, the Philippines, Mexico, Taiwan, the U.S., and India to design a human-centered business plan that restores dignity to the workplace.

Theme:
Re-centering the Worker: Building a Business World that Values People Over Profit.

Can better management practices help employees feel valued and respected? Can businesses restore dignity to work while staying sustainable and successful? Join the challenge and share your vision.

Key Dates
Registration Opens: October 1, 2025
Registration Closes: October 31, 2025
Teams Announced: November 3, 2025
Business Plan Submission: December 3, 2025
Finalist Announcement: January 11, 2026 (tentative)
Final Presentation: February 2026 (tentative)

Meet Tom Thomas, Founder and CEO of Votegrity and our next Founder Friday speaker.

With more than 25 years of experience in Information Systems, Tom has built and led high-performing engineering teams for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 50 companies.

His passion? Designing innovative, secure systems that empower people and strengthen communities. Votegrity is built to make elections more accessible, transparent, and trusted.

💡 Join us for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, and leading with integrity.
Don’t miss the next
Friday, October 17, 2025 4:00pm to 6:00pm

🛋️ Meet MoodRoom one of the Final Four in the 2025 Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition (HSBPC)!

Founded by Nha Vuong, MSF ('24 MSF) and Sah Pham, MoodRoom takes the best of two worlds - cozy gaming and mental health tools, merging them into one immersive experience that makes mental health tools accessible and engaging before, during, and after therapy. Moodroom partners with employers, universities, and mental health professionals to expand accessibility to communities who need us most.

Join us at the HSBPC Finals and Award Ceremony tonight (5/30) at 5-8pm to learn more about MoodRoom and see which of the final four teams will win our $20,000 grand prize.

🏆RSVP required: Book your tickets here https://events.seattleu.edu/event/the-harriet-stephenson-business-plan-competition-finals-and-awards-ceremony

✅ Meet LabelGuard one of the Final Four in the 2025 Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition (HSBPC)!

Founded by Gurshan Rai ('25 MBA) and Kristina S. ('26 BABA), LabelGuard is an app that uses a phone's camera to scan product barcodes in a store. The product ingredients are then compared to predefined restrictions the user has inputted using AI, like vegetarian, religious dietary guidelines, allergies, and can also determine if the product can interfere with any medications the user is taking.

Join us at the HSBPC Finals and Award Ceremony on May 30 at 5-8pm to learn more about LabelGuard and see which of the final four teams will win our $20,000 grand prize.

🏆RSVP required: Book your tickets here: https://events.seattleu.edu/event/the-harriet-stephenson-business-plan-competition-finals-and-awards-ceremony