Finalists Named for UW’s John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition

The University of Wyoming College of Business has selected six student-led teams as finalists for the 2026 John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition.

The competition, now in its 26th year, is open to all UW and Wyoming community college students. It provides a platform for student entrepreneurs to develop and launch startups across the state. With support from judges in rounds one and two, finalists were selected from a highly competitive pool of nearly 40 applicants. The six teams, representing various colleges and academic levels, will compete for $50,000 in Ellbogen Prize funds and an additional $15,000 in auxiliary awards to advance their businesses.

Organizers express thanks to the John P. Ellbogen Foundation for its continued generosity and support in making this competition possible each year.

The John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition will take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the UW Conference Center. The event is open to the public. To RSVP, visit https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_87wYPgi7XB1qtpQ. Additional event details will be shared closer to the competition date and can be found at https://ellbogen50k.org/.

This year’s finalists are:

-- DRNK is a mobile ordering and bar-analytics software designed to reduce wait times, streamline bar processes and provide venue intelligence to owners. The goal of DRNK’s team -- a diverse group of young, driven entrepreneurs focused on innovation, efficiency and human connection -- is to help bars reach more customers while reducing the headache of ordering a drink without interfering with the aspects of a bar that people love.

Palmer Lynn Venture, of Cheyenne, is the team leader. Team members are Kolten Williams, of Great Falls, Mont.; and Morgan Voss and Kaylee Esgar, both of Pueblo, Colo. All students are from the College of Business.

-- MotoMotion was founded by two UW juniors who also are active dirt bike racers. The startup builds products “by riders, for riders.” The team combines hands-on mechanical and fabrication experience with business, marketing and financial support to lead product design, real-world testing and go-to-market execution. MotoMotion focuses on developing practical, durable solutions that make hauling dirt bikes easier, safer and more efficient.

Alex Hlad, of Green River, is the team leader; and Catherine Plummer, of Green River, is a team member. Both students are from the College of Business.

-- Guide Outdoor Equipment is a team of four business students at UW working to revolutionize the hunting industry. Built on deep, firsthand experience in hunting, guiding, manufacturing and business operations, the team combines management, entrepreneurship, marketing and economic insight with real-world outdoor expertise.

Guide Outdoor Equipment is creating next-level hunting equipment to provide hunters with products in which they can take pride. The startup is revolutionizing the hunting tripod by maximizing setup speed and efficiency. Guide Outdoor Equipment lives by its core values: faith, integrity, grit, service and patriotism, creating a product its founders can be proud of, and one that outdoorsmen can rely on and carry in every terrain and situation.

Austin Fox, of Green River, is the team leader. Team members are Morgan Evans, of Cody; Samantha Hutchinson, of Livermore, Colo.; and Seamus Casey, of Gillette. All students are from the College of Business.

-- EzzzUp is building high-quality, high-value sleep products that solve real-world problems for people who need reliable wake-ups without noise. The flagship product in development is a full-size smart pillow that functions as a silent alarm for night shift and on-call clinicians, and for individuals who are hard of hearing. 

Evin Hansen, of Green River, is the team leader. He is from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

-- Interactive Bedtime builds a tool that makes bedtime more engaging for families. Interactive Bedtime is an artificial intelligence-powered mobile app that helps parents create personalized, interactive bedtime stories for their children. The company’s goal is to make nightly reading easier, more consistent and more meaningful for both parents and kids.

Dallin Rima, of Riverton, Utah, is the team leader. He is a student in the College of Business.

-- Blinx was founded from lived experience. The company is developing a new approach to monitoring absence seizures in everyday life. Its mission is to make seizure monitoring more practical, accurate, efficient and humane.

Kate Clark, of Casper, is the team leader and a student in the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information about the 2026 John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition, email event coordinator Sarah Drewry at entr@uwyo.edu.