Ten finalists are waiting for the results of the Mercer Innovation Center's annual Next Big Idea competition. The announcement will take place Wednesday, April 1 in the Mercer Innovation Center from 5-8 p.m.
The Next Big Idea competition encourages students to pitch innovative business concepts, with up to $6,000 in prizes available for winners.
The pool of applicants was narrowed down to 10 finalists after a review of proposals submitted in early March. The 2026 competition required an executive summary and featured a live, 10-minute pitch.
“We have a mix of for-profit businesses, non-profit businesses, tech businesses and product businesses all presenting together, which makes it really exciting,” Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Briana Stenard said.
Stenard organized the event alongside Professor of Management Marko Horn and Director of the Mercer Innovation Center Chris Carr. The prize money is funded by the Mercer Innovation Center to assist student entrepreneurs in their business needs.
Finalists will present on “the problem they are solving, how they solve it with their solution, their target market, their marketing plan, their operations plan and their financials,” according to Stenard.
Stenard and Horn also serve as advisors for the competition, coaching students through their pitches and building their confidence.
“My favorite part of the competition is seeing students showcase their passion for their ideas,” Stenard said. “There is nothing like watching a student present an idea they've worked so hard on and the enthusiasm they deliver their pitch with.”
This year’s judges are Dean of the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business Julie Petherbridge, Executive Director of Corporate Partnerships Shawn Arnold and Professor of Economics Szabolcs Blazsek.
“They will be judging the 10 finalists based on the quantity of research they've done, as well as the creativity and feasibility of their idea,” Stenard said.
Stennard said she is excited to see such a varied group of participants and ideas. The competition is open to all Mercer students and is designed to foster entrepreneurship across majors.
“I am beyond thrilled to see the diversity of submissions,” she said. “We are excited to see presenters from across campus coming from multiple different colleges, including both undergraduate and graduate students.”
The finalists’ business ideas include:
MER-SIM Medical Simulation
The SEED Project
Mí-Camino
Detego Partners
Reinforced Prosthetic Sleeve
Gather Round
Bear Bridge Transition Scholars
The Creative Launchpad Initiative
Cake It with Chloe
GlowBox
Hannah Mock ‘28 is a communications and graphic design double major at Mercer and is currently a staff writer for The Mercer Cluster. When she’s not at a coffee shop catching up on her studies, Hannah is working on her latest artistic projects or out hiking a new nature trail. Her favorite things to write about include arts and culture, social issues and community accomplishments.
