Campus Connection

UW-La Crosse students win qualifying round of Wisconsin Big Idea tournament

Chances for better customer service at food and beverage businesses could improve thanks to a group of UW-La Crosse students. Anthony Volk and Steve Lee presented to a panel of judges their concept and business plan for “Sipp,” a web application developed to enhance customer service in the food and beverage industry. They, along with fellow students Will Guerrin and Elyse Janikian, will go on to compete at the state level, after winning the qualifying round of the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament (WBIT) on Thursday, March 30, on campus. That winning cohort will compete at the state WBIT finals Saturday, April 22, in Madison. They’ll be competing against other qualifying teams from UW campuses across the state. The first place winner at state will receive a $2,000 cash prize, a free one-hour consultation with the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic at the UW Law School, up to $25,000 in funding, and paid travel to Silicon Valley with the opportunity to present on an international stage at the International Business Model Competition in California. The Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament is a UW System student entrepreneurship competition open to undergraduate and graduate students attending any two- or four-year University of Wisconsin school across the state, except UW-Madison. The local qualifying round is hosted annually by the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at UWL. The competition teaches business development tools and provides business mentorship. The public will have a chance to hear about the ideas of the WBIT competitors, along whether other student entrepreneurs participating in the UWL Innovation Lab, when they all compete in the UWL Eagle Eye Business Competition at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the Student Union Theatre. A Student Business Expo will be held earlier that day from noon-3 p.m. in the Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall. The UWL SBDC and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) are supporting these events.