Islanders Pitch Innovative Concepts During Buc Days Ideas Challenge

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, in collaboration with the Buccaneer Commission, inspired Islander students to bring their business ideas to life during the eighth annual Buc Days Ideas Challenge. The challenge provides student entrepreneurs from multiple disciplines an opportunity to put their minds to the test and display their very own innovations in a competitive setting.

This year, business management majors Rosaisela Cornejo ’23 and Luke Raglin ’22, along with accounting major Amber Wood ’23, took home the grand prize of $2,500 and Whataburger for a Year with their OPLEX Clamp idea. The OPLEX Clamp is a flexible gooseneck clamp that allows a hands-free Brightness Acuity Test, an industry-standard sight test, for patients who currently have issues with the handheld version. Cornejo said the idea for the clamp originated from her experience working in an ophthalmology clinic and witnessing patients with medical conditions like Parkinson’s Disease or arthritis struggle with the current testing method. The team brought the idea to life in fall 2022 during their Entrepreneurship and Creativity class taught by Dr. John Gamble, TAMU-CC Mary and Jeff Bell Endowed Distinguished Professor of Business.

“It was an amazing feeling knowing that our hard work and business idea was recognized as a successful product worth producing,” Wood said. “We would like to thank everyone involved in the Buc Days Ideas Challenge. It’s special to know our idea was not only of value to us but could be seen as a value to others — that’s what entrepreneurship is about.”

The winning team received an automatic bid as a Top 40 semi-finalist in the Raymond Ideas Challenge at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Additional finalists included business majors Macensey Clark ’23 and Remy McCluney ’23, who took home the second-place prize of $1,500 for their V.E.T (Very Easy Transport) business idea, a virtual veterinary service accessible via mobile device. Music major Lillian Rose ’24 took home third place and a $1,000 prize for her Creative Minds Café, a studio rental idea for media driven content makers. All finalists were also awarded a one-year membership to the Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center.

The competition judges included TAMU-CC faculty Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Assistant Professor of Marketing; Dr. Jack Clampit, Associate Professor of Management; and Dr. Phillipe Tissot, Associate Research Professor. Dr. Kent Byus, TAMU-CC Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, returned as this year’s event emcee.

“There is a misconception about what entrepreneurship is and who belongs in the entrepreneurial universe, but the truth is — we all do,” Byus said. “To me, entrepreneurship is a way of thinking, reasoning, and acting that is opportunity obsessed, for the purpose of creating, delivering, and communicating value. Each of these teams did just that — with passion.”

For more information on the Buc Day Ideas Challenge, visit bucdaysideaschallenge.com.