KENT, Ohio — A unique twist at the annual Entrepreneurship Immersion Week (EIW) found the four participating University of Mount Union students competing on different teams for the first time in the challenge’s history.

As a result, Gabby Cataloni ’22, a computer engineering major of Hermitage, Pennsylvania and Teresa Woerther ’21, an art and marketing double major of Alliance, Ohio, were part of two of the three winning teams. 

The students were separated based on an algorithm that stemmed from an early-week ice breaker that identified what each student felt they did well. Thus, no team was made up of students from the same institution. 

Teresa Woerther '22 (second from right) was apart of one of the winning teams at EIW 2019.

The teams consisted of students from Mount Union, John Carroll University, Baldwin Wallace University, Kent State University, the University of Akron, Ashland University, Hiram College, Lorain County Community College, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University. 

The five-day immersion gave student teams the opportunity to learn problem solving skills and work together to provide proposals to meet challenges proposed by three organizations.

The organizations were: The Paradox Prize, a not for profit working to solve endemic social problems, in this case the challenge was “No Job No Car, No Car No Job” transportation for underserved communities; Sibling Revelry Brewery, expand the brand and increase customer visits to the brewery; and Smithers Oasis, a manufacturer of floral foam who wanted to expand the uses of their core product. 

Gabby Cataloni '22 (second from right) poses with her team and its $2,500 victory check.

The students were paid a stipend for attending, and members of the winning teams each received $500. Judging panels for each challenge were made up of owners and employees of each organization and an outside expert in the particular space. 

Also participating on behalf of Mount Union were Jess Heymann ’22, an accounting and finance double major of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and Amanda Wesely ’22, a marketing and management double major of Louisville, Ohio.

EIW is held each year at one of the participating campuses and is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.