Husker entrepreneurs earn donor-funded awards in New Venture Competition

A woman speaks to a crowd seated on bleachers.

Corey Rourke Photography

University of Nebraska–Lincoln students recently pitched business ideas for donor-funded prizes at the 39th annual New Venture Competition, one of the nation’s longest-running collegiate entrepreneurship competitions. The award ceremony was held at Hudl in honor of the founders who won the competition 20 years ago.

Twenty years ago, three University of Nebraska–Lincoln students pitched the winning idea at the New Venture Competition that became the global sports technology company Hudl. This year, a record 84 teams applied to compete for more than $80,000 in donor-funded prizes, with 64 student teams representing 46 majors pitching their ventures to more than 60 judges.

One of the nation’s longest-running collegiate entrepreneurship competitions, the two-day event is hosted by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship and showcases student founders from across the university.

“With the university now ranked No. 35 in the world for entrepreneurship by The Princeton Review, the New Venture Competition reflects the incredible momentum we’re seeing around entrepreneurship across campus,” said Sam Nelson, Bauermeister Family Presidential Chair in Entrepreneurship, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice in management. “A record 84 teams applied to compete this year for just 64 spots. We held the awards ceremony at Hudl because Nebraska alumni David Graff, Brian Kaiser and John Wirtz proved that ideas shared in this competition can turn into companies making a global impact.”

Drone spraying venture earns grand prize

Adam Knapp, a junior agribusiness major and Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minor from Ord, Nebraska, earned first place and the $15,000 grand prize, donated by the Bauermeister family, for his business, Knapp Custom Ops LLC. Offering drone-based spraying services for farmers, it provides a streamlined option for agricultural application.

“Any time a farmer needs aerial application, my business is there to help and offers full service,” Knapp said. “All the farmer has to do is call, and we handle everything else.”

While the process sounds simple, Knapp’s operation is powered by precision drone technology that enables targeted application, improved efficiency and consistent performance in challenging environments.

Knapp worked on the business idea for 18 months and plans to employ additional workers this summer.

“With the $15,000 donor-funded prize, I’m going to upgrade one of my drones so I can better serve my customers,” he said.

Adam Knapp, a junior agribusiness major from Ord, Nebraska, holds an oversized check for $15,000 in front of a Center for Entrepreneurship backdrop and balloons. — Adam Knapp, a junior agribusiness major from Ord, Nebraska, won the $15,000 grand prize in the 2026 New Venture Competition. His business, Knapp Custom Ops LLC, offers drone-based spraying services for farmers, powered by precision drone technology that enables targeted application, improved efficiency and consistent performance in challenging environments.

Additional finalists in the Traditional Bracket included:

Second place ($12,500): Pickup Lines Striping — Karter Otte, a senior agribusiness major and Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minor from Orchard, Nebraska, whose business provides parking lot striping and restriping services in rural and urban Nebraska.
Third place ($10,000): Premium Acres — Talon Krebs, a senior business administration major from Neligh, Nebraska, who created a functional bone broth brand as an alternative to coffee and energy drinks.
Fourth place ($7,500): Premier Umpires LLC — Brock Anderson, a junior advertising and public relations, and sports media and communication major from Lincoln, and Logan Hoffman, a sophomore political science major from Lincoln, whose business helps provide professional umpires for youth baseball and softball games in Lincoln and surrounding communities. Moving forward, they are launching Officiator, a scalable tech platform to connect umpires with jobs across the country.

Anderson and Hoffman also received the Thomas G. Guy Startup Team Award and a $2,500 prize recognizing their outstanding organization and collaboration throughout the competition. The award is provided by the Guy family in honor of the late president of Ellis and Guy Advertising in Omaha, who played a key role in brand growth for several businesses, including Godfather's Pizza, Merry Maids and Home Instead.

SomeGuys Services wins Advanced Traction Bracket

The Advanced Traction Bracket featured student teams who advanced to the finals of the New Venture Competition in prior years. Because they already operate businesses, they must demonstrate strong financials and measurable growth. Judges awarded $15,000 in prizes, funded by alumnus Breck Collingsworth, of Resort Lifestyle Communities, which offers all-inclusive, independent senior living communities for adults 55 and older.

Jackson Donley, a junior Clifton Builders management major from Bloomington, Minnesota, received the top prize of $10,000 for SomeGuys Services. He is a two-year member of the center’s Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator, a cohort-based program that provides experiences, mentorship, resources and support to move businesses forward. His company focuses on door-to-door sales for comprehensive window cleaning.

Donley and his high school friends started the business in July 2023 after watching a TikTok video about door-to-door sales. After deciding to try it, the first door he knocked on resulted in a sale.

SomeGuys Services generated $205,000 in revenue in 2024 and $680,000 in 2025 from one-time sales. Donley plans to use the prize money to expand recruiting and marketing efforts on social media as his team prepares for the upcoming season.

“This year we are focusing on a recurring-service model,” he said. “We’re hoping to triple ticket prices and hit $5 million.”

Second place and $3,500 were awarded to J&D Lake Services LLC, founded by Joseph Weinberger, a junior Clifton Builders management major and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Bull Valley, Illinois. The company provides eco-friendly lake weed removal services for clients such as homeowners associations and golf courses.

Third place and $1,500 went to Alpha Omega Pickleball, founded by Andreas Katsaounis, a junior business administration major, former member of the Entrepreneurship Catalyst and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Waterloo, Nebraska. The company develops high-performance, affordable pickleball paddles for the rapidly growing, $2.2 billion U.S. market.

Jackson Donley, a junior Clifton Builders management major from Bloomington, Minnesota, stands on stage, giving a presentation to three judges. — Jackson Donley, a junior Clifton Builders management major from Bloomington, Minnesota, won the $10,000 top prize in the Advanced Traction Bracket for his business, SomeGuys Services, which provides door-to-door window-cleaning services.

Seven teams recognized with Judges’ Choice Awards

Seven teams received Judges’ Choice Awards for their potential and strong presentations. Each team received a $2,500 prize funded by the Bauermeister family.

Reach — Dante Dyches-Chandler, a senior data science major from Cozad, Nebraska, and Jake Rance, a senior psychology and data science major from Omaha. Reach provides AI-powered test prep solutions directly to schools and is running pilots with several area schools. Reach is a member of the center’s Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator, and the Startup Studio through the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management.

Chitraka — Mohanendra Siddha, a graduate student in computer science and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Lincoln. Chitraka is a digital traceability platform that unifies fragmented food supply chain data into a single, verifiable system.
FindU — Kenny Morales, a senior computer science major from Grand Island, Nebraska, and Wilson Overfield, a senior computer science major from Ralston, Nebraska. Both are members of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator and the Raikes School’s Startup Studio. FindU is a college decision platform that helps high school students discover and compare schools.
Retro Cowboy — Max Petersen, a senior marketing major and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Lincoln. Retro Cowboy is a curated vintage clothing brand focused on one-of-a-kind pieces, with an emphasis on ’90s college culture and Nebraska heritage.
OverUndr — Blake Kahler, a junior business and law major and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Omaha. OverUndr is a creator-first platform that helps sports betting coaches run and monetize their business, delivering picks, managing subscribers and building community in one place, with a focus on transparency, trust and performance tracking.
Sip Buddy — Joe Flodman, a junior computer engineering major and member of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator from Lincoln, and Gabby Dennis, a junior psychology major from Lincoln. Sip Buddy is a wearable drink-safety device that detects contamination in beverages and doubles as a social companion that captures memories at nightlife events.
DineU Delivery — Landen Fogle, a senior computer science and finance major from Omaha, and Ryan Flatley, a senior mathematics and data science major from Brookfield, Wisconsin. Both are members of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator and the Raikes School’s Startup Studio. DineU Delivery is redefining on-campus dining by bridging the gap between university food providers and student demand for convenient delivery.

The startup also received the first-ever UNANIMOUS Award for Exceptional Pitch Deck Presentation, sponsored by UNANIMOUS, a full-service branding, marketing and web design agency in Lincoln. The $500 award recognizes a team whose pitch deck demonstrates strong alignment through clear messaging, design and strategy.

“The New Venture Competition continues to serve as a launching pad for student founders, just as it did two decades ago for the Hudl founders,” Nelson said. “Over 20 ventures in this year’s competition were already generating revenue, and we also had teams building sophisticated software platforms, engineering solutions, and education technology tackling big problems. The breadth of what our students are doing is remarkable.”