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Innovation Challenge Kicks Off 7th Season

Innovation Challenge snapshotStartups are an important vehicle for U.S. economic growth, accounting for half of all new jobs created. At CSULB, students have a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in starting a business through the Innovation Challenge, an annual contest that provides the winning entrepreneurial team with $50,000 in cash and services to get started.

Now in its seventh year, the Innovation Challenge is supported by the CSULB Colleges of the Arts, Business Administration, and Engineering, along with industry leaders with varied high-level business experience. The contest is open to all students. Continue reading “Innovation Challenge Kicks Off 7th Season”

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Two Teams Receive Startup Funding

The CSULB Innovation Challenge’s top team for 2016 took repeated punches and jabs from senior citizens to test out its winning business idea, while the runner-up watched hours upon hours of video games.

The Boxing Movement team, made up of business majors Anthony Gonzalez, Eric Lara and Gina Gionta, won the top prize of $10,000 in seed funding and $40,000 in services for a mobile boxing ring that could be trucked to recreation centers and other facilities to help seniors have fun and maintain strength.

The Boxing Movement team was made up of (l-r) Anthony Gonzalez, Gina Gionta and Eric Lara.

“It’s something that can benefit the entire senior population,” said Gonzalez, a personal trainer at CSULB’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center. He added that spending on wellness-based services is expected to increase from its current level of $200 million to $1 trillion by 2025. Continue reading “Two Teams Receive Startup Funding”