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The Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University has concluded its annual Riata Business Plan Competition, awarding a total of $40,500 in scholarship money to student entrepreneurs.

The competition’s finalist teams presented their business ideas to a panel of judges, competing for recognition and scholarship funding. “We’re incredibly proud of all the participants who put their innovative ideas forward and worked diligently through the competition,” said Paula McCullough, manager of the Riata Center’s outreach programs.

“The annual Business Plan Competition is not just a chance to showcase talent but also a platform for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills, connect with industry experts, and receive constructive feedback,” McCullough added.

The competition, open to Oklahoma State University students of all majors, encourages innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. This year’s competition saw 64 intent-to-compete submissions, with 44 teams submitting comprehensive executive summaries of their business ideas.

A panel of 24 distinguished judges reviewed and scored the executive summaries, providing valuable feedback and selecting the top 24 teams to advance to the live round. The live round took place on Friday, where the winners were selected.

The Riata Center is dedicated to fostering an environment of creativity and entrepreneurial development, providing students with resources, mentorship, and support to turn their ideas into actionable business plans. Top teams receive scholarship money and the opportunity to further develop their ideas through the Riata Center’s mentorship and entrepreneurial programs.

The 2025 winners were announced in four categories: Main Street Lifestyles, Big City/High Tech, Social Enterprise, and Rising Entrepreneur. The winners are:

Main Street Lifestyles:

First: Pete’s Protein Café – Lydia Rice

Second: Boba Pour, Mary Wellington

Third: The Roaming Rooster—Destroy Wahweah

Big City/High Tech:

First: SciVince—Soroosh Farsiani

Second: Lingua Tech—Aubrey Fudge, Harrison Confer

Third: Innozyme, Rosalie Dohmen

Social Enterprise:

First: Ghidaa w Ni’Maa – Sarah Abdelmoneam

Second: In the Middle of a Miracle—Brooklyn Hawkins

Third: Nutreco Salvor, Shivanshi Agarwal, Rroopesh Hari

Rising Entrepreneur:

First: The 405 – Marian Gutierrez

Second: Inhaler Innovations: Anahita Badkoubeh, Emmanuel Yangue, Boris Oskolkov, Rashed Islam

Additional awards were given for Best Elevator Pitch and the Richard L. Tourtellotte Family Scholarship.

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