Buena Vista University was one of just 25 teams nationwide selected to compete at e-Fest, hosted by University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis this past weekend. BVU stood out among 170 applicant institutions and was the only institution from Iowa represented at the event.

E-Fest is a three-day celebration of undergraduate entrepreneurship, featuring multiple competitions designed to challenge students’ innovation, collaboration, and business acumen.

On Friday, BVU senior Alyssa Jordan was part of the winning team in the Innovation Challenge, earning a total team prize of $15,000 ($3,750 per student). The Innovation Challenge brings together students from the 25 participating universities, forming interdisciplinary teams of four to solve a real-world problem. This year’s challenge focused on helping a nonprofit organization grow its female membership.

On Saturday, the Fuller Radiance LLC team, comprised of Cody Fuller ’25, Puritie Smith ’26, and Alyssa Jordan ’26, earned the “Ready for Market” award and a $10,000 prize. This award recognizes a company that demonstrates strong immediate growth potential. The team also secured an additional $1,000 in the Schultze Pitch Challenge for their business presentation.

BVU students earned $14,750 in prize money across the competition, highlighting the strength of the university’s entrepreneurship programs and student talent on a national stage.