Big ideas, real opportunities. 💡🐎
Congratulations to the student entrepreneurs recognized at the 2026 SMU Big iDeas Business Plan Competition! Through SMU Big iDeas, students have the opportunity to turn innovative concepts into action, developing their entrepreneurial skills while competing for funding to help bring their ventures to life.
We’re proud to celebrate this year’s winners and the creativity, ambition and hard work they brought to the competition.
🏆 CJ Sanitation - Jonah Swann '27, Finance and Computer Science double major
🏆 ConstructZen - Nipun Yarlagadda '28, Economics major
🏆 Khaya Rewards - Logan Choi '27, Computer Science major
🏆CraftFidgets - Sujit Pai ‘30, Business and Economics, Jonah Macalusco ‘30, Business and Sports Management
🏆ProThread - Amani Ikenye ‘26, Computer Engineering major
Congratulations, Mustangs! 🎉
ALT A group of eighteen people pose indoors, smiling and holding large checks. The checks display awards for various projects from the SMU Big Ideas competition. The background features a banner with the SMU logo.
ALT A person in a blue suit walks past people seated in a room with wooden bookshelves filled with books. Some seated individuals are smiling and clapping. The atmosphere appears formal or academic.
ALT A person in a suit leans over a table, engaging with another seated person. Several water bottles and a coffee cup are on the table, which is covered with a blue and red cloth. In the background, more people converse in a room lined with bookshelves.
ALT Two people are standing in a room with wooden bookshelves. One person gestures with hands while speaking. Behind them, a screen displays "2026 Big iDeas Business Plan Competition Winners!" Beside it, a banner reads "SMU BIG IDEAS" with a light bulb graphic and "Launching Start-ups Since 2008." The second person holds a large rolled-up certificate.