Four Arkansas Tech University students have advanced to the semifinal round of the 2026 ACC Capital Governor’s Cup collegiate business plan competition.
ATU senior Cole Dickson of Phoenix, Ariz., reached the semifinals with his Smart Straw concept, while the team of ATU seniors Isaiah Adams of Little Rock, Malaya Wilburd of Sherwood and Joshua Golden of Bentonville made it to the semifinals with an idea called MoneyUP.
Cass Capen-Housley, ATU instructor of management, is advising Dickson on his project.
Dr. Robin Ghosh, ATU assistant professor of computer and information science, and Rebecca Cunningham, ATU assistant professor of computer and information science, are advising Adams, Wilburd and Golden on their project.
According to information provided by the Governor’s Cup organization, the business plan competition is a “real-world entrepreneur education opportunity for college and university students” to “gain a greater appreciation of the challenges and opportunities of starting a viable business” while gaining “access to networks of entrepreneurs, economic developers, investors and others.”
The competition includes a 10-page written business plan, a 15-minute virtual oral presentation with 10-minute question-and-answer, a 15-minute in-person oral presentation with 10-minute question-and-answer and a 90-second elevator pitch event.
Finalists will be announced on Monday, March 9, and the final round of competition is scheduled for April 13-15 in Little Rock. Students are competing for an all-cash prize pool in excess of $140,000. The competition is made possible through the title sponsorship of Dhu C. Thompson.
Dickson’s Smart Straw concept measures the volume intake of water and provides that information to a smart phone application that is designed to help people make sure they are drinking enough water on a daily basis.
“You think about it…there’s an Apple Watch, there’s a Fitbit that tracks your sleep…but there’s nothing like this out there,” said Dickson. “I feel like there’s a big window of opportunity for it. I took a marketing class two years ago, and that’s where this idea came from. It stuck with me through another class that allowed me to develop this business plan. I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to do anything like this, but it all came about because of those classes.”
Adams, Wilburd and Golden developed the MoneyUP smart phone application concept as a way of helping college students access their banking information, establish personal budgets and gain information about financial planning.
“This has given me first-hand experience on not only creating a product, but also leading a team of diverse individuals,” said Adams. “I see this as a way for me to use what I have learned and apply it to future roles after college, especially as I pursue my goal of becoming a leader in the tech world.”
Visit www.atu.edu/business to learn more about the ATU College of Business and Economic Development.
