Innovation, drive, and entrepreneurial spirit took center stage at the 2025 Entrepreneur’s Cup awards dinner on April 22, marking the culmination of another successful year of Oklahoma’s premier collegiate business plan competition.
Hosted by i2E and presented by Love’s Travel Stops, this year’s event awarded more than $167,000 in prizes across multiple categories, celebrating the brightest emerging entrepreneurs from colleges and universities throughout the state.
From biotech breakthroughs and wearable tech to community-focused ventures, student teams addressed real-world challenges with startup-ready solutions. Now in its 21st year, the Entrepreneur’s Cup remains a launchpad for Oklahoma’s next generation of business leaders. The competition features three primary divisions: High Growth Undergraduate, High Growth Graduate, and Small Business.
Additional honors were presented during the awards dinner, held at the Will Rogers Theatre in Oklahoma City. Winners were chosen for their compelling business plans, impressive pitches, and real-world potential.
“You learn so much in college, but I think real world experience is something that you can’t replicate in the classroom, and that’s what I appreciate about Entrepreneur’s Cup,” Daniel Kringel, from Oral Roberts University team SparkMotion, said.
High Growth Winners
In the Undergraduate division, SparkMotion from Oral Roberts University, led by Daniel Kringel and advised by Isaiah Sparkman, claimed the top prize and $21,000. AuraPatch from The University of Tulsa earned second place, and ZeroCrossing from the University of Central Oklahoma placed third.
In the Graduate division, SCIVINCE from Oklahoma State University took the first place $21,000 prize, led by Soroosh Farsiani, Mahla Hosseini, and William Petty, with advisor David Thomison. The University of Tulsa’s G&J Sensing Solutions placed second, followed by Innozyme, another OSU team, in third.
Small Business Winners
In the Small Business division, ORU teams swept the top two spots. Ingress earned first place and $12,000, and was led by Timothy Blanco with advisor Robert Leland. ORU team ESTHER took second. UCO’s KitchenKeeper rounded out the top three.
Pitch Winners
Three standout participants earned top honors in the 90-second pitch competition, each receiving a $1,000 cash prize. The Pitch winners were:
- Gabriela Blanco, ORU, for ESTHER
- Jazmine Ivery, UCO, for ZeroCrossing
- Rosalie Dohmen, OSU, for Innozyme
Paulsen Scholarship Award
Recognizing outstanding students with entrepreneurial promise, the Paulsen Awards are $5,000 scholarships sponsored by the Oklahoma Business Roundtable. The Paulsen award winners were:
- Ty Davenport, OU
- Mohamed Elgouhari, OU
- Andon Russell, East Central University
Black Oak Social Innovation Award
The Black Oak Social Innovation Award, funded by the Moore Family Foundation, focuses on how innovative business ideas can address pressing social and environmental issues while generating profit. The first-place team was G&J Sensing Solutions from The University of Tulsa, winning $6,000. Second place was APmed from OU.
About the Entrepreneur’s Cup The Entrepreneur’s Cup is a statewide collegiate business plan competition that simulates the real-world process of researching a market, writing a business plan and making a presentation to potential investors. Over its 21-year history, more than 2,800 students have participated, showcasing over 870 innovative ideas and receiving $2.6 million in awards. The program is sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops and administered by i2E, a private not-for-profit corporation focused on growing innovative small businesses in Oklahoma and making a positive impact on the state’s economy. More information is available at entrepreneurscup.org.
