ADA, Okla. – The Stonecipher School of Business at East Central University kicked off Summer 2026 with the return of Oklahoma Business Week (OBW).
OBW is an annual event that gives high school students the opportunity to spend five days on ECU’s campus, including overnight stays in the dorms, while participating in a series of activities and competitions in the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center and across campus.
Beginning in 2012 and returning in 2023 after a three-year hiatus, OBW continues to prepare future business leaders by teaching valuable skills in leadership, communication, team building, responsibility, money management, entrepreneurship, marketing and much more.
The Chickasaw Nation served as the title sponsor for the event, which welcomed 39 first-time students and 5 returning students. Organizers divided the students into six teams and the students competed in different challenges that taught business skills, critical thinking and teamwork.
Each competition contributed to their total score. Four events accounted for 10% each, while two major events accounted for 30% each.
The competitions which accounted for 10% of the score included:
- Hunk of Junk: Teams created a product using only junk materials and one roll of duct tape, followed by a live commercial pitch.
- Stock Challenge: A stock market challenge.
- Amazing Race: A teamwork activity where students roamed the ECU campus completing challenges and locating buildings and landmarks.
- OBW Regatta: Teams built a boat out of cardboard and packing tape that one student had to ride in while another pushed or pulled the length of the pool.
The competitions which accounted for 30% of the score included:
- BizSim: A business simulation where teams ran a company and were responsible for production, marketing and financial decisions.
- Trade Show: Teams pitched original product ideas at an event with approximately 60 community members who volunteered to act as investors with “Trade Show Bucks” for funding.
For the 2026 OBW, the team designated Super Awesome Business Squad placed runner-up with Violet Vision placing first in the competition.
Super Awesome Business Squad included:
Dylan Nguyen – Edmond, Okla.
Warren Plunk – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Leslie Walters – Ada, Okla.
Madison Zeigler - Lawton, Okla.
Laila Colina – Muskogee, Okla.
Piper Robison – Sweetwater, Okla.
Violet Vision included:
Buddy Abney – Stratford, Okla.
Thomas Gillenwater – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Breanna Larson – Grove, Okla.
Tayler Spaulding – Vanoss, Okla.
Danielle Botes – Salado, Texas
Isabella McCoy – Lawton, Okla.
Lillian Harper – Ada, Okla.
Each member of the winning team received a $1,000 ECU scholarship, as well as a laptop, while the members of the runner-up team received a $500 scholarship and an Owala water bottle.
In addition to competition, students toured the Artesian Hotel and business located in Sulphur Okla. and learned from business leaders within the Artesian Hotel, Chickasaw Country Tourism and Lazer Zone Family Fun Center about operating each respective business.
First-year students also had the opportunity to tour and visit with leadership during their board room dinner assignment at one of five local businesses: The Chickasaw Nation Treasury, Vision Bank, Mercy Hospital, First United Bank, Grow Ada, and People’s Electric Cooperative.
For information about next year’s OBW, contact Bolin at sbolin@ecok.edu.
For more information about ECU’s Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business, contact Taya Underwood at 580-559-5274 or email tunderwood@ecok.edu.
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