100-Hour Challenge winners to receive awards in entrepreneurship class

The light bulbs have been turned on, the vacuum bags have been cut up and the hoses have been connected.

These raw materials and more are part of the 60 entries in this year’s 100-Hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Office of Corporate Relations and supported by a grant from the Kaufmann Foundation.

“We continue to be impressed with the creativity and spirit exhibited by UW students,” says the Office of Corporate Relations’ Doug Bradley, pointing out that several students from UW-Whitewater participated in this year’s contest. “The 100-Hour Challenge gives them a chance to flex their entrepreneurial muscles and, hopefully, encourages them to pursue other entrepreneurship opportunities available on campus.”

Every team or contestant received a voucher for $15 in materials from UW–Madison’s Surplus With a Purpose (SWAP) shop for use in their creations and had 100 hours between Feb. 17 and 21 to complete them.

The judges awarded $300 to five projects in the categories of Most Creative, Most Social Value Generated and Most Value Generated. Two entries were deemed Most Creative. Kathryn Wolf and Kuntal Patel created a New-Age Multicolored Vase out of a beaker and test tubes, while Rachel Resnick made her Bathing Suit project out of computer keys and plastic caps.

Two teams also tied in the Most Social Value Generated category. A team from UW-Whitewater created Distillagua 6000, a water distillation system that can operate by solar power, fire or bunsen burner, and can purify water in a cost-effective, efficient way. Meanwhile, Rachel Fassbender and Sara Fischer came up with The Dorm Disposer, a residence hall composting station that uses the waste as food for worms.

In the Most Value Generated category, judges recognized Kylie Reese’s No Smear Gear for painting fingernails smudge-free.

A People’s Choice Award of $100 was given to the team whose project was viewed online the most. It went to The High Five-inator, by sisters Bethany and Becca Ludwig, who made a contraption for exchanging a high five without a partner.

All of the entries can be viewed at http://challenge.wiscontrepreneur.org.

Media are invited to attend the awarding of prizes to the winners, which will take place during Jeanan Yasiri’s class on entrepreneurialism in society at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, in Room 1610 of Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive.

The 100-Hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge is open to any student registered at a two- or four-year Wisconsin institution. About 160 students participated, including students from UW-Whitewater and the 130 students in Yasari’s class on entrepreneurship in society who competed individually or in teams.