Congratulations to Fallon Wells for winning the Big Idea UNK 2025 live pitch competition with Birthday Blooms: Preserved Floral Gifts, a new product line highlighting the flowers associated with each person’s birth month. Fallon won the $3,000 prize for first place.
Kade Schrock won the $1,000 prize for second place with his pitch for YourVision, a product that takes traditional architectural drawings or 3D models and transforms them into fully immersive digital environments.
Jessica Bertrand won the $500 prize for third place with her pitch for Robust Pivot Tracks, a continuous track system for center-pivot irrigation that prevents tipping and improves stability across all types of terrain.
Live Pitch Event
On November 5, 2025, eleven talented entrepreneurs pitched their unique business ideas live in UNK’s Discovery Hall. The finalists for the 2025 Big Idea UNK were (in alphabetical order):
Jessica Bertrand – Robust Pivot Tracks
Sadie Birky – Miss Sadie's Farmhouse Bakery
Max Broomfield – ScoreScrape
Remi Daumas – WashWatch
Jeison Galdamez – Family First
Isaac Hagen & Nick Thieszen – CapShield
Isaac Haselhorst – Pastabilities
Blake Hochstein – Teaching Technicians
Kade Schrock – YourVision
Fallon Wells – Birthday Blooms: Preserved Floral Gifts
Prizes
Cash prizes of $3,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place were awarded to the live pitch winners. All finalists received a selection of giveaway items.
Event Sponsors
Event sponsors support Big Idea UNK and make pitch night possible. Thank you to these sponsors for elevating the event for Big Idea. Email Sara at bennettsa2@unk.edu to become an Event Sponsor.
About Big Idea
Spearheaded by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the Big Idea UNK is designed to foster and showcase the innovative business and product ideas emerging from our talented pool of UNK students.
Ideas are submitted in advance, narrowed down to a group of finalists, and ideas are pitched LIVE in front of an audience and panel of judges. Pitches must be 2 minutes or less. Each pitch is followed by a Q&A. The contest is open to UNK students only.
History of Big Idea
Since launching in 2011, Big Idea Kearney served as a platform for students and community members to pitch new ideas and win funding to bring them to life. Big Idea Kearney was open to UNK students, Kearney-area residents, and even high school students for a period. Starting in 2025, Big Idea Kearney has evolved into Big Idea UNK (just for UNK students) and Big Idea Buffalo County (community residents within Buffalo County). The creation of Big Idea Buffalo County creates new possibilities, connections, and resources that meet the needs of innovators throughout the region. At the same time, UNK students benefit from a version of the program that’s built around their schedules, goals, and campus life. Learn more about Big Idea Buffalo County.
Congratulations to the Fall 2024 Big Idea Contest winners!
- First Place: Becky Holden with Kaizen Design
- Second Place: Aaron Osmond with AutoCallCam
- Third Place: Madeline Rose with Seasonal Scoops
Contact
Sara Bennett
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Rural Development
bennettsa2@unk.edu
308-865-8199
