Last week, the Walla Walla University School of Business hosted their 2025 U-Pitch Competition finals, during which five teams presented original business ideas and strategies to a panel of successful business professionals.
This year’s first place and audience choice award winning team was Pampa Solutions—led by Nicolás Echeverría, sophomore business administration major. He pitched an automated smart stick that rural farmers could use to scan their animals’ microchipped ear tags for various health and medical information and store that data in the company’s app.
To Echeverría, U-Pitch was the perfect opportunity to engage in a meaningful learning experience, combining business strategy with agricultural innovation. He said, “I wanted to challenge myself to turn an idea into a project with potential to create a significant impact in the future—especially in my home country of Argentina, where there is a big opportunity for digital technologies to help rural development.”
Second place was awarded to RideU, an app for college students who need safe, reliable transportation at an affordable price and student drivers looking to make some extra cash. Third place went to Snail Roll, an eco-friendly weighted mat meant to improve relaxation for adults with ADHD and autism. Fourth place went to Timber Tides Studios—a non-profit organization designed to support emerging filmmakers—and fifth went to Rebasket, a more comfortable, stylish, and eco-friendly take on the shopping basket.
After each pitch, the judges had five minutes to question, advise, and comment. This year’s judges included: Kol Medina, president and CEO of the Blue Mountain Community Foundation; Paul Rhynard, founder of FOG Capital; Robert Keszeg, founder and CEO of Walla Walla AI; and Tiarella Miles, private client banker at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.
Any WWU student can enter the U-Pitch Competition and compete for over $10,000 in awards by presenting their most innovative idea. This event is an annual opportunity for students to collaborate with professors and peers from all across campus, develop important logistical capabilities, and strengthen professional communication skills.
To learn more about U-Pitch and the School of Business, visit wallawalla.edu/business.
Posted May 23, 2025.
