NEWS RELEASE

Students Win Awards with their Business Ideas

Teams led by an Eastern Oregon University student and an alumnus won the Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam on April 4 for their innovative business ideas. 

EOU students Indy Gauthier and Jacob Sanchez won first place for their concept of a digestive supplement. Second place went to a team consisting of EOU alum Kellen Grant, and current EOU students Adam Smith and Addison Wickliffe for their idea of using an unmanned aircraft system to monitor livestock.

“Public speaking is central to my career goals as a communications major,” Gauthier said. “This experience helped me build confidence sharing my ideas with diverse audiences. I’d recommend it to other students as a great way to learn how to turn an idea into something real.”

“I really appreciated how welcoming the event felt. It gave me the chance to connect with valuable resources both on and off campus and better understand what it takes to move an idea forward,” said Grant. “It also helped me present myself and my ideas in a way that captures people’s attention and gets them interested in what I have to say.”

This was the first Innovation Jam held in Eastern Oregon since 2018. Other innovation jams are being held across the state this spring at university and community colleges. These events are part of Invent Oregon, and serve as a structured pathway for students to advance their innovations. 

The winning teams this weekend were awarded $500 for first place and $250 for second place. Eligible teams from regional events advance to the statewide InventOR Finals Pitch Competition & Prototype Exhibition on June 26 at OSU-Cascades, where $30,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. They may also have the chance to pitch their idea at the 2026 Bend Venture Conference in October.

“On Day One, which took place February 28, students received a hands-on crash course in design thinking from Dr. Stefanie Holloway from GO-STEM, and applied their learnings to develop a prototype concept with the support of mentors,” said Carter Gudell, coordinator of the event from the Oregon Frontier Innovation Hub. 

“Students were given a month to validate their ideas and participate in a virtual Business Model Canvas overview, before returning on April 4 for Day Two. That day, they focused heavily on telling the story of their concept with the support of Dr. Shari Carpenter from EOU and Bryan Tweit of LaunchPad Baker, which culminated in a live pitch competition in front of a panel of five judges.”

The Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam was hosted by EOU, in partnership with Invent Oregon, the Oregon Frontier Innovation Hub, an initiative of the Rural Engagement & Vitality (REV) Center, and EOU’s Greater Oregon Science Technology Engineering & Math (GO-STEM) hub. OFIH is supported by Business Oregon.