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Four �������� students and two alumni took home cash awards to help build their small businesses after they competed in the third annual Entrepreneur Launchpad Fund (ELF) contest.

Inspired by the television show Shark Tank, the ELF competition gives budding entrepreneurs an opportunity to professionally pitch their business ideas before a panel of judges and win funds to move their start-ups forward. The competition is open to current students and recent graduates.

Laura Grum, a senior who graduated in May with a degree in marketing, was the first-place winner, receiving a $10,000 grand prize for her digital marketing business, Golden Lens.

It was a project for her Business Plan Development and Execution course, which required Grum to develop a marketing plan for a business, that ultimately inspired her to create a company of her own, she said. Golden Lens currently provides digital marketing services to six small businesses in Chicago.

“Winning the competition was an incredible honor,” Grum said. “This experience verified the hard work and vision behind Golden Lens. I am excited to keep growing and help businesses build strong and authentic brands.”

Grum said she plans to use her financial award to upgrade her camera and lighting equipment and conduct photo shoots to help promote her agency to new clients.

“I will forever be grateful to Dominican for having such a competition for students to really express themselves and have their businesses come to life,” she noted.

Taking second place in the competition were DU seniors Alexandria Canarreli and Casey Goss, who received $5,000 to build on their digital marketing agency, One Less Hat. Like Golden Lens, this company helps small, local businesses grow their presence online.

Runners up in the competition were Stephanie Schnaufer MBA ’23 for Small Habits Matter, which provides nutrition support; Jaden Barnett ’23, for Plateau Botanicals, a brewer of artisan herbal teas; and junior Julia Nowowiejski, for Aqua Aura, ocean-inspired handcrafted jewelry. Each received a $2,500 award for their business.

The is supported by donations and was developed by professors in Dominican’s Brennan School of Business as a way to give student start-ups a financial boost and encourage entrepreneurship.

The annual competition is open to current DU students and recent graduates. Twenty applications were submitted this year, with five finalist proposals selected for the final round of competition. 

Ramiro J. Atristain-Carrión, executive in residence and adjunct professor of finance at ��������, described this year’s ELF competition as a showcase for “the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, where students turned bold ideas into actionable ventures.”

“ELF is more than a competition,” he added. “It’s a launchpad for change-makers who believe that business can uplift communities and transform lives.”