The Big Sell
Think you have the next big business idea? Want a chance to win $10,000 in eight minutes?
The Big Sell is PNW's annual contest to identify the best new ideas in business.
Mark your calendar…the 2025 Big Sell Final will be on May 3!
2025 Finalists
- Alexis Karahalios – Septo
- Nabeel Rabie – Scent Seal
- Allyson Straka – Frozen Garden
- Felipe Trejo – Easily repairable and customizable wireless gaming mouse
- Dhara Patel – Shield
- Orion Traulle – Jamhouse, LLC
- Ashton Verbish – SafetyGlow
- Donna Webster – Breath’g Vegan, LLC
- Caiden Carlson – FEAST
- Paul Walczak – Yuda
- Max Beller – Max Bar
2025 Judges
- Faith Spencer – CEO of Iron Works Corporation, Enterprise Technology Consultant
- Shaunte Robinson – Executive Director at JP Morgan
- James Kornas – Executive Vice President at Ozinga Rail
Sponsors
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners!
- First Place: Jonathan Rose
- Second Place: Emily Edwards
- Third Place: Danielle Cruz-Lopez
Contest Details
- CMEC is prepared to assist prospective applicants develop and record pitches by appointment only. Please do not wait until the last minute.
- If your product has a social benefit, please describe it briefly.
- If you are selected as a finalist, then prepare to give a live six-minute pitch presentation expanding on your video submission to a panel of judges. You may demonstrate your product and/or use a presentation such as PowerPoint and expect questions from the judges.
Eligibility:
- Open to all teams and individuals, referred to as “participants.”
- If you have previously received funding from the PNW Big Sell, you are not eligible to compete.
Submission:
- Applications must be complete at the time of submission; no additional materials will be accepted.
Finalists:
- Selected participants must pitch in person. Failure to appear results in disqualification.
Presentations:
- Competition begins at 1 p.m.
- Each team has up to six minutes to present.
- Slideshow presentations must be on a flash drive and will be managed by event organizers.
- Only the product or service may be presented.
Conduct and Disqualification:
- Participants may not contact judges.
- Content promoting illegal, unethical, or inappropriate activities is prohibited.
Publicity:
- By entering, participants allow Purdue University Northwest to use their materials, photos, and presentations for promotional purposes.
- Winning teams are required to share the awards from this competition among all team participants.
- All winners who will be receiving award money and prizes must provide personal information (Social Security number, address, etc.) to Purdue University Northwest. This is a necessary component the university needs to meet under federal and state guidelines.
- All winners agree that volunteered services must be used within one year from the date of the award and that service providers have up to one year to provide the volunteered services to the winners. If services are not used, this will amount to a void.
The PNW Big Sell is hosted by Purdue University Northwest College of Business and Office of Commercialization and Research – CMEC.
To request a disability-related accommodation, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at oie@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2163 five days prior to the event.
In accordance with Purdue policies, all persons have equal access to Purdue University’s educational programs, services and activities, without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or status as a veteran. See Purdue’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at oie@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2337.