EO Iowa, a branch of the national nonprofit Entrepreneurs’ Organization, hosted its fourth annual Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), a statewide competition where student entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of judges. The competition has regional, national and international levels that winners of each round advance to. Iowa State University student Cam Reiman, founder of Spock’s Sanctuary, won first place in the competition, held on Jan. 25 in Des Moines, and received a package of cash and services worth $24,000. Reiman will compete at the GSEA national competition in Nashville on Feb. 21. According to a news release, Reiman created Spock’s Sanctuary to educate pet owners on proper animal care and enhance quality of life for exotic pets.
Other finalists in the statewide competition were:
- Andrew Nguyen, Chingu BBQ
- Armaan Gupta, Kreative Horizon
- Phillip Gorni, Safety Scan
- Dakota Belling, Bovi-Jet
- Leon Xue, Intecular