If you give a student 24 hours and a local business problem, chances are they’ll develop an innovative idea to solve it. 

That’s exactly what 10 student teams did at Business Breakthrough, an event hosted by the University of Northern Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. 

The idea for Business Breakthrough surfaced from Startup Weekend, a well-known international entrepreneurial event that motivates entrepreneurs to implement a business idea over the course of 54 hours. At UNI, the JPEC took that concept and adapted it to fit the campus community. The goal was to create a fun and accessible opportunity for students from all majors to explore entrepreneurship.

6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20: Laying the groundwork

The countdown began with networking at SingleSpeed Brewing Co. in Waterloo, organized in partnership with Grow Cedar Valley. Students connected with local entrepreneurs and community leaders, immersing themselves in the entrepreneurial energy of the Cedar Valley. There was excitement in the air as students realized they were part of something bigger than a typical school event.

“It was a pleasure attending the UNI Business Breakthrough event and connecting with such driven and innovative students. Hearing their ideas, learning about their entrepreneurial journeys, and offering guidance along the way was truly energizing,” said Katelyn Tungland, Business Breakthrough mentor and director of investor relations at Grow Cedar Valley. “Having Grow Cedar Valley ambassadors present added meaningful value, giving students the chance to engage with a wide range of local mentors and strengthen their connection to our business community.”

8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20: Identifying a problem in the Cedar Valley

After networking, students went back to UNI's Business & Community Services building for a crash course on the Business Model Canvas, a one-page visual tool for developing new business ideas. Before the evening concluded, 10 leaders drew slips from a hat to reveal the problems they would be challenged to solve. The remaining students then self-selected the issue they were most interested in tackling. At last, 30 students were condensed into 10 teams, local problems were claimed and group ideas were already taking shape. 

8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21: Starting a new day 

The momentum continued on Saturday as students returned to the JPEC to refine their ideas, outline revenue models, and dig deeper into their problem. Throughout the day, community mentors joined in to provide encouragement and feedback. 

“We met with mentors and asked targeted questions regarding pricing on our AI-based model, which is designed to help service-based businesses,” said Lane Kruger ('26, Marketing). “After analyzing similar businesses, we carefully priced our plan to stay competitive, not by being the cheapest, but by innovating and positioning ourselves as leaders in AI consulting. These decisions were guided by the feedback from our conversations and market research on the current AI landscape and service-based AI consulting firms in the area."

12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21: Refueling energy levels

During the competition, the focus stayed on both productivity and fun. To keep energy levels high and break up the work time, students ran around the building hunting for tiny ducks, competed in hands-free donut and Oreo-eating challenges, and got their heart rates up with a balloon-stomp competition.

6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21: Pitching ideas for the win

At the final pitch-off on Saturday night, each team gave a four-minute presentation detailing their problem, solution, market opportunity, and business plan. First place went to NABR, a conceptual app developed by Lily Bell ('27, Interior Design), Josiah Welch ('27, Graphic Design), and Christian Sanders ('26, Marketing Management). The team of three was tasked with addressing the challenge that homeowners face with rising repair and maintenance costs for aging homes and the lack of trusted, affordable service options. 

The team identified that nearly 40,000 homes in the Cedar Valley are over 10 years old, 28,000 of which require annual repairs. NABR connects local handymen with homeowners, allowing users to compare prices, search by specialty, and view past customer reviews. With an estimated 108 jobs per month, or 25 jobs per week, NABR would be a worthwhile tool for local homeowners and maintenance providers.

“It was exciting to win, knowing how much effort we put in as a team to make our idea possible. We just seemed to flow and connect everything easily,” said Sanders.

Business Breakthrough demonstrated that being an entrepreneur doesn't require total knowledge. Rather, it's about being present, accepting the challenge, and trusting the process. Over the course of one weekend, UNI students came up with creative solutions, made deep connections, and demonstrated that when creativity and courage collide, the impact can reach far beyond campus.