ADA, Okla. – East Central University’s School of Business recently hosted its annual Tiger Tank competition, the 2023 winners were announced alongside the winners of Tiger Promote and Tiger Trak at this year’s Leonard Limes Lectureship.
The annual competition calls for individual students, or teams, to pitch new business ideas that are product or service oriented and be able to answer questions about the pitch, idea and opportunity. It is divided into three categories including high school, collegiate and advanced collegiate.
“Tiger Tank is a great way for ECU and high-school students from the area to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week.” said Stacey Bolin, ECU Smith Center for Entrepreneurship Director. “Not only can students win cash prizes, but they also get great feedback from our volunteer judges to help them continue to hone their ideas to move forward. At the awards luncheon, students got to learn from the 2023 ECU Entrepreneur of the Year, Rick McMurtrey.”
2023 Tiger Tank Award Winners:
ADVANCED COLLEGIATE
Champion – Matto Foods (Matthew Stephens, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship) - $250 Prize Sponsored by Ada Jobs Foundation
Runner Up – Vivian’s Bakery (Vivian Tapia, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship) - $125 Prize Sponsored by Communication Federal Credit Union
Second Runner Up – She Is (Gabrielle Miller, Business Administration- Management) $75 Prize Sponsored by Communication Federal Credit Union
COLLEGIATE
Champion – No BS Protein (Sydney Moody, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship Summer Stiles, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship) - $250 Prize Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
Runner Up – Better Pharm QR (Aubrey Junk, Accounting, Milana Khaikhan, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship) - $125 Prize Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
Second Runner Up – Basic Apparel (Ashlie Crawford, Accounting) - $75 Prize Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union
HIGH SCHOOL
Champion – The 4 Bee’s (Cord Coffee, Braxton Elkins, JB Cole, Darryl Marvin from Ada High School) - $250 Prize Sponsored by Leachco
Runner Up – Garage on the Go (Parker Deliz from Byng High School) - $125 Prize Sponsored by Ram Jack
Second Runner Up – Build-A-Rope (Cort Powell, Caden Bradley from Stratford High School) - $75 Prize Sponsored by RamJack
Tiger Promote, an event marketing pitch presentation, and Tiger Trak, a stock challenge, were also hosted by the ECU School of Business and were also awarded.
Tiger Promote Award Winners:
Champion – Boss Babes (Jaelee Jorzan, Trinity Bess, Riley Lundy from Stratford High School) – $250 Prize Sponsored by First United Bank
Runner Up – Skillful Solutions (Cole McElroy, Briley Brundidge from Latta High School) – $125 Prize Sponsored by Gateway Mortgage
Second Runner Up – Team DECA (Rhett Gray, Reese Edgar, Mason Glenn, Aidan Rogers from Latta High School) - $75 Prize Sponsored by Gateway Mortgage
Tiger Trak Award Winners:
COLLEGIATE
Champion – Aubrey Junk, Accounting - $100 Prize Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Wealth Advisors
Runner Up – Deacon Singleton, Accounting - $50 Prize Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Wealth Advisors
Second Runner Up – Sydney Moody, Business Administration- Entrepreneurship - $25 Prize Sponsored by Gaddis Premier Wealth Advisors
HIGHSCHOOL
Champion – Bryson Buxton, Latta High School - $100 Prize Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Runner Up – Cole McElroy, Latta High School - $50 Prize Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Second Runner Up – Theodore Simmons, Stratford High School - $25 Prize Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Champion School – Latta High School, $125 Prize Sponsored by Simmons Bank
Cutline: Pictured is Advanced Collegiate Champion Matthew Stephens