BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Four Illinois Wesleyan University students were awarded grants by showcasing their ideas through the Titan New Venture Challenge on Nov. 13.
Sponsored by the School of Business and Economics and Marc Talluto '94, the Titan New Venture Challenge is a milestone seed grant program where students identify problems and apply creative problem solving and critical thinking, while communicating the solutions effectively. Responsibility for organization of the program transferred this semester from The Petrick Idea Center to the School of Business and Economics.
Dean of the School of Business and Economics Bryan McCannon ‘98 worked with IWU staff to bring professionals with experience in the world of startups and venture capital to evaluate the pitches of students, ask questions and provide feedback.
The judges for the event were Chris Bisaillon '93, co-owner of Bottleneck Management and chief marketing officer of Riverwalk Capital; Troy Frerichs, vice president of investments at Country Financial, and Molly Koehler '12, vice president of innovation and economy for JP Morgan Chase.
“The creativity and problem-solving skills on display were amazing,” said McCannon. "It was interesting to see the variety of educational backgrounds of the students. We had a science student working with an entrepreneurship major. We had student entrepreneurs from such diverse fields as art, biology and finance. The presentations were professional and of the highest quality.”
Nine students participated in the event, with four grant recipients selected: Elliott Notrica '26, Justin Doucette '25, Javokhir Rajabov '25 and Caleb Martinez '27. These winners received between $1,000 to $2,000 in grants, funded by Marc Talluto '94, to continue developing their ideas.
Doucette and Notrica presented the business Symbio Bioculinary, founded by Notrica, a biology major. This is the company’s third win with the New Venture Challenge since 2022. Symbio Bioculinary is a fermentation waste consultation venture where microbiology is used to transform organic matter from agricultural and food manufacturing sectors. This yields a return for companies on their waste in the form of products they can sell, or additives they can put back into their processes.
With seven business partners so far, Symbio Bioculinary has undercut traditional waste disposal pricing of food industries and created a sustainable practice overall. In the future, the duo hopes to find a permanent lab space nearby for training and operations.
The two students participated in the Titan New Venture Challenge this year to practice vocalizing and cementing the language surrounding Symbio, with hopes to earn additional capital to contribute to business costs.
“It’s also an incredible way to network with other student businesses and industry partners that are available at the event,” said Doucette, an entrepreneurship major. He added that the goal of the competition is for each participant “to polish their skills, rather than be the best.”
“A key to success is having fun. If you believe in your concept, pride will shine through in your presentation because the business is an authentic belief,” said Doucette.
Martinez was encouraged to participate in the Titan New Venture Challenge in a class taught by Assistant Professor of Business Tamara Paul Reeff. His winning venture, Bear SEO, is an agency that helps small business owners increase their online visibility and attract more leads through Google.
“I focus on creating personalized strategies to improve search engine rankings, drive targeted traffic and deliver measurable results. My mission is to help businesses grow by establishing a strong and lasting digital presence,” said Martinez, a business major.
Martinez said one of his keys to success in the challenge was narrowing down and clearly defining the core purpose of his business.
“It’s not just about profitability,” he said. “It’s about demonstrating how your business can create real value and solve problems for others. Having a solid plan coupled with a passion for making an impact really helped me stand out.”
The funding he received through the Titan New Venture Challenge will cover operational expenses and kickstart an investment in additional tools and resources to assist clients. Martinez hopes to continue making connections by partnering with local businesses.
Javokhir Rajabov, a senior finance major, was awarded funding for his startup called StudySphere.uz. The business connects students in Uzbekistan to college opportunities in the United States and Canada, providing language training and application consulting services.
McCannon said IWU Design Research Consultant Abby Zenger played a key role in planning and promoting the New Venture Challenge, engaging with student clubs and classes to encourage participation.
“We’re grateful for the support of faculty and club advisors,” said McCannon, acknowledging John Quarton’s contributions as director of The Petrick Idea Center in developing the Titan New Venture Challenge template used in previous years.
After the success of this semester’s challenge, McCannon said he intends to continue to partner with The Petrick Idea Center to grow a vibrant “entrepreneurial ecosystem” on campus by launching workshopping programs and seed funding competitions, with the goal of introducing students from all fields to the possibility of starting an entrepreneurial venture.