The 14th annual Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition will award a $50,000 winner-takes-all prize during a live pitch event Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the National Automobile Museum. 

The long-running Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship event has been a catalyst for the local entrepreneurial community since its inception in 2011. The competition has vetted hundreds of potential founders over the years, including students from every college at the University of Nevada, Reno and recent alumni, culminating in one final winner each year. 

The competition equips participants with essential business skills, focusing on how to create solutions that offer real value, enough that customers will keep paying for them. The goal is to help founders build sustainable companies that can support their teams and investors long-term. 

Thomas Burnham, associate professor of marketing and longtime Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition mentor, reflected on the program’s impact, “For the past 14 years, the Sontag Competition has brought together community leaders, entrepreneurs, and university professors to coach and encourage the most motivated, creative students as they develop their early business ideas,” Burnham said. “The result is an intense few months during which students gain not only business plans, but also critical business skills, broader perspectives, and a deeper sense of self-confidence.”  

To ensure the competition remains focused on real, student-led ventures, participants must meet specific eligibility criteria. Student presenters are required to hold a significant ownership stake in the company, which must also be registered as a Nevada corporation. These requirements are designed to foster genuine entrepreneurial collaboration among students, faculty and the broader Northern Nevada community. 

According to the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship, student teams are supported by a network of community mentors, professors, business leaders, faculty and a local nonprofit, many of whom volunteer as subject matter experts over a three-month period. The Reno community also plays a key role in judging, with 20 volunteers evaluating teams through five rounds of competition, ultimately narrowing the field to this year’s final four. 

“The Sontag Entrepreneurship Competition drives innovation by offering a platform where students can take on authentic business challenges, benefit from mentor expertise, and build the self-assurance to turn their ideas into viable enterprises,” said Armina Karapetian, teaching associate professor of marketing in the College of Business and lead organizer of the competition. 

This year’s finalists represent a wide range of fields, including kinesiology, computer science, green construction, product design and business. Having beaten out 29 competitors to reach the final stage, all of the finalists are actively launching startups and seeking investment partners. 

This year’s event will feature keynote speaker Randy Holleschau, CEO of Elemental LED, and a networking reception. The $50,000 prize will be awarded by entrepreneurship community judges at the conclusion of the event. Guests are invited to arrive early and tour the museum.