April 24, 2024
MILWAUKEE — Marquette University’s Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative will partner Milwaukee-based Brady Corporation for the annual Brewed Ideas Challenge on Friday, April 26, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the university’s 707 Hub, 1102 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Shark Tank-style pitch competition follows a series of workshops where student founders, mentored by leaders from Brady Corporation, take their concept from idea to business proposal.
Media interested in covering the event or speaking with organizers should contact Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication at Marquette, at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
This year, 12 finalists will compete in two tracks: social impact and traditional business. First place winners in each track will receive $7,500 in seed money, and second place winners in each track will receive $2,500 in seed money. There are also four $1,000 awards in the categories of audience choice, alumni choice, Brady Innovation Award and the Inclusive Impact Award.
The finalists include:
Social impact track
Traditional business track
The Brewed Ideas Challenge will be judged by Olivier Bojarski, president of Americas and Asia at Brady Corporation, and Nicole Westenberger, vice president of marketing at Brady Corporation. Also judging will be Milwaukee entrepreneur Omar Shaikh, owner of Carnevor Steakhouse and the 3rd Street Market Hall.
This is the 11th year of the competition and the 10th year as the Brewed Ideas Challenge (previously the “Good Money Challenge”). Since its inception, the challenge has awarded over $150,000 in seed money. Previous winners and 707 Hub alumni include Liv a Little Ice Cream; The Color of English; Community. Books. YOU.; Career Closet; Ukuli Chocolates; Uluomo Worldwide; and DREAMERS Fellowship.
The 707 Hub is a student-centered, anti-disciplinary innovation space that is a catalyst for any Marquette student looking to act on an idea — it is where students, ideas and spaces connect, collide and collaborate.
With its corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, Brady Corporation is a global leader in safety, identification and compliance solutions for a diverse range of workplaces. Its solutions can be found in applications from the depths of the ocean to outer space and everywhere in between.
About Marquette University
Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.
Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.
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