2018 Startup Challenge Monterey Bay
From Dream to Reality
Eighty-two entrepreneurs from the Monterey Bay region competed in one of three divisions: Venture, for businesses intended to grow into large enterprises; Main Street, for small businesses; and Student, for high school through graduate school students.
Applicants presented their ideas to a panel of judges in the Qualifying Round on April 7th. From that group, 25 finalists were selected to expand their business idea and make a 10-minute presentation to a panel of judges in the morning on May 12th. The top three finalists in the Venture and Main Street divisions went on to compete in the Otter Tank pitch competition.
Over the past eight years, CSU Monterey Bay’s Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED), housed within the College of Business, has trained over 2,200 entrepreneurs and helped launch 525 businesses.
2018 Winners
BOHO Marketplace won the Student Division, earning the $1,500 prize. BOHO, founded by two students from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, is an innovative and values-based insurance marketplace that provides customers with an easy way to compare and purchase insurance policies, while also providing insurance to someone in need in an emerging market.
That Garlic Stuff, a homemade garlic sauce made with locally-sourced garlic, won the Main Street Division, earning a $10,000 cash prize. Runners-up companies Arti-Culture and Splendid Blended each earned $2,500 prizes.