Sixty students from Florida Tech’s Foundations in Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE) course participated in the annual College of Business (COB) Innovation Challenge Nov. 22, 2024.
The event, organized by COB faculty members Chris Sonnenberg ’04, ’07 M.S., ’13 Ph.D., Bob Keimer and Tim Muth, tasked student teams with developing innovative products and services designed to address real-world customer problems.
Each team produced a prototype, created a science fair-style display featuring information on its target market and product benefits, and delivered concise, compelling presentations to highlight its ideas to a panel of six judges.
Judges evaluated the prototypes, asked questions and provided feedback. Throughout the event, students viewed their classmates’ displays, exchanged ideas and even engaged in friendly trash talk.
The challenge concluded with the announcement of the winning team: Annabel Lange, Marco Varo Kaputu and Rachel Partsch, who collaborated on their project, the ReliefSmart Brace—a brace designed to provide pain relief, improve mobility and promote a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, each of the top three teams received cash prizes in recognition of their outstanding work.
The COB Innovation Challenge exemplifies Florida Tech’s commitment to equipping students with practical business skills, fostering creativity and encouraging entrepreneurial thinking.
