More than 400 students, faculty, alumni, business leaders and community partners gathered at Colorado Mesa University last week for the 19th annual Entrepreneurship Day: a celebration of innovation, experiential learning and entrepreneurial thinking. Centered around this year’s theme, “Built on a Century: Powering What’s Next,” the event highlighted the university’s growing connection to the regional business community and its investment in preparing students for the future.
Sponsored by Timberline Bank, the event featured keynote speaker Lexi Van Roekel, former CMU student-athlete and co-founder of Go-To-Market at EggNest.ai. Drawing from her experience in startup development and strategic partnerships, Van Roekel spoke about helping organizations transform artificial intelligence into practical, long-term business solutions. With a passion for developing local talent, her message on the value of internship opportunities and meaningful real-world experience is one that resonates with students and young professionals preparing for success beyond the classroom.
Innovation took center stage during the event’s catered lunch where students pitched original business concepts to a live audience. The competition showcased a diverse range of business models, from community-focused services to product-based startups.
John McGill and Henry Scheck claimed the top spot for Travel Buddy, a platform designed to bridge the gap for solo travelers by fostering community and connection. Second place was awarded to Thomas Allison for Get a Grip, a venture focused on specialized grip solutions, while Daniel Booth secured third place with Eternal Remembrance, a concept dedicated to preserving legacies through innovative memorialization.
For these entrepreneurs, the event served as more than just a competition — it provided a high-stakes arena to defend their strategic visions in front of the region’s most influential business leaders.
“E-Day was an amazing experience and a great opportunity to connect with business owners, entrepreneurs and other students,” McGill said. “The event provided valuable networking, wisdom and encouragement that made a big impact on me.”
For Allison, the experience provided both personal and professional growth.
“E-Day is the opportunity to put myself out there in the world and show what I am working on,” Allison said. “If nothing else, E-Day put me and my idea in front of the most prominent and influential people and organizations in the community.”
Faculty members involved with the event emphasized the educational value of the competition and the growth students experience throughout the process.
“One of the biggest areas of growth in these students was confidence, but more importantly, clarity,” said Mitch Hagy, assistant professor of business entrepreneurship in CMU’s Davis School of Business. “Many students begin with ideas they are excited about, but excitement alone does not make a viable business.”
In the classroom, Hagy said students learned how to evaluate customer problems, refine value propositions and then communicate these ideas effectively under pressure.
“Pitching is not easy,” Hagy said. “Entrepreneurship can be uncomfortable because it forces students into uncertainty and there is no answer key. That is where the growth happens and I saw that in these students today.”
The program honored established business titans, presenting the Excellence in Entrepreneurship award to Spirit Engineering founder Steve Wood for his career-long leadership in aviation and business. The event also spotlighted alumni-owned businesses, including Brian Watson of Pax8, Kenneth Riskey of eBricks and Craton Edwards of The Garage.
The focus on collaborative innovation extended to Panini Passport, an upcoming food truck venture that bridges the gap between technical skill and business strategy. A joint initiative between students from CMU Tech and the Davis School of Business, the project serves as a mobile laboratory for experiential learning. While culinary students focus on menu development and high-volume food production, business students manage the logistics, marketing and financial modeling required to sustain a profitable operation, providing them with hands-on experience.
This drive for practical innovation reflects the university’s broader vision. As CMU looks toward its next century, Entrepreneurship Day stands as a testament to the power of these partnerships. By connecting classroom theory with community expertise, the event ensures that the next generation of CMU innovators is not just dreaming of the future, but actively building it.
