Each spring, the Lubar College of Business brings together some of its most creative student entrepreneurs for the LaMacchia New Venture Business Plan Competition, an annual event that helps transform promising ideas into real-world ventures. The competition awards seed funding to students who demonstrate strong business concepts, thoughtful planning, and the determination to bring their ideas to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe LaMacchia Competition highlights what is possible when talented students pair innovative ideas with disciplined business thinking,\u201d said Steve Michael, Karl A. and Lillian Bostrom Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding to see our students develop ventures that not only show strong potential but also address meaningful opportunities in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2026 competition highlighted a wide range of ventures \u2013 from consumer products to financial technology \u2013 reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit that continues to grow across the Lubar community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First prize ($15,000) went to Olivia Wegner, creator of KittyGo, an all-in-one cat carrier and litter box designed to make traveling with cats cleaner, safer, and less stressful. The product addresses a common challenge for pet owners by combining thoughtful design with practical functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second prize ($7,500) was awarded to sisters Joyce and Luna Penterman for De Dames Ice Cream, a Dutch-inspired ice cream venture rooted in their family\u2019s dairy farm and cheese factory in Thorp, Wisconsin. The sisters plan to begin producing ice cream on the farm using milk from their family\u2019s cows, building their brand locally before expanding to Milwaukee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third prize ($5,000) went to Mark Deutschmann for MoneyMate, a digital personal finance and portfolio analytics platform designed to help everyday consumers better understand and manage their finances. By translating complex financial data into simple insights, the platform aims to boost financial confidence and literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two ventures received honorable mention awards ($1,000). Maia Scurry and Andjela Kresanovic were recognized for Hroshi, a fintech platform that allows employers to offer Bitcoin contributions as part of employee benefits. Devon Grohall earned recognition for Eyes Won\u2019t Wait, a mobile optical service designed to bring vision care directly to communities across the Milwaukee area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, this year\u2019s winners demonstrate how Lubar students are turning innovative ideas into ventures that address real-world needs \u2013 one startup at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following served on the panel of judges for the competition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the months preceding the competition, the following served as mentors to the venture teams, providing valuable guidance for formulation and presentation of their business plans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the outset of the process, the following individuals presented workshops on developing effective new venture business plans to interested students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Each spring, the Lubar College of Business brings together some of its most creative student entrepreneurs for the LaMacchia New Venture Business Plan Competition, an annual event that helps transform promising ideas into real-world ventures. The competition awards seed funding …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3012,"featured_media":19540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[39,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-spotlight"],"yoast_head":"\n