NIU student entrepreneurs once again made their mark at the 2025 University Pitch Madness Competition, held Tuesday, July 15, at DePaul University in Chicago. This competitive, invitation-only event brings together top collegiate startup teams from across the Midwest, including the University of Chicago, Northwestern, the University of Illinois System, Michigan State, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and others.
This is the third year NIU has participated in the event, which features 32 elite student-founded ventures. NIU’s representation was made possible by the NIU Office of Innovation in the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships and the College of Business’ De La Vega Innovation Lab. Teams advanced to Pitch Madness after placing in NIU’s own De La Vega Innovation Pitch Competition earlier in the spring.
One of the standout teams this year was SafeStride Robotics LLC, co-founded by engineering students Han Ju and Rudy Ruelas II. Their company is developing a robotic guide dog designed to help the visually impaired navigate their environments more safely and independently. Their pitch earned them a place in the final round and $1,000 in seed funding.
SafeStride addresses a critical gap in accessibility. Their findings showed that only 5% of people who could benefit from a guide dog are able to access one due to long waitlists and high prices. The team hopes their product can change this.
SafeStride drew attention from judges and peers alike. Ruelas, a mechatronics major, shared his enthusiasm: “It was really fun to see not just the process of initial concept, design and final product, but also how these ideas can be turned into businesses.”
Ruelas noted that the College of Business and the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology have been a big helping hand in the project — by providing facilities, faculty help and fostering “an environment that facilitates both our engineering and entrepreneurial sides,” Ruelas said.
Ju, a rising sophomore in mechanical engineering, emphasized the opportunity to connect with like-minded peers. “I would say the biggest takeaway from the event was definitely gaining more experience. This was our second time pitching and receiving the feedback from the judges as well as watching the other business pitches, we learned a lot about how we would be able to improve on our future presence in pitching.”
SafeStride’s next milestone will be beta testing the robots thanks to support from the College of Business, 71 North Partnership Studio and the NIU Vision program. The team is working to refine the robotic interface and code to prepare for testing and expand the robot’s capabilities into more complex environments.
In addition to SafeStride Robotics, two other NIU teams presented strong, forward-thinking ventures.
The College App, founded by Nikhil Doddaga, is a cutting-edge college admissions tool that combines AI and human support to deliver affordable, effective guidance to students. Designed to disrupt the high-cost model of private college counseling, the platform already has a growing community of 800-plus users and is preparing to scale through B2B licensing.
“Both the DePaul Pitch Madness and the NIU De La Vega Innovation Pitch Competition have helped shape my future by reinforcing my passion for entrepreneurship and showing me that I can turn ideas into impact,” said Doddaga.
Tax Architects, led by Nick Harris, Arun Kumararaj and Igor Maslov, provides a digital toolkit for aspiring tax professionals who want to start their own practices. After spending countless hours trying to find vetted information and startup tools, the team built a comprehensive solution that streamlines this process.
“I learned and reinforced the notion that I work best during competition,” Kumararaj said. “Regardless of the stakes, having anything on the line helps me push myself further. It’s easy to get complacent when you don’t compete against a wider field.”
“This experience was meaningful to me, as our team was able to showcase all the hard work we put into our company,” said Harris. “Our team will be walking away with an experience that we won’t forget, and we will be looking forward to implementing all we learned in developing Tax Architects.”
The exposure to investors and peers was invaluable. All teams worked closely with faculty mentors throughout the summer to refine their business models and sharpen their pitches for this high-profile event.
The DePaul competition continues to be a proving ground for NIU’s most promising entrepreneurial talent. Last year, NIU took home fourth place, and in 2023, an NIU student won both first place and the audience favorite award.
“Opportunities like the DePaul University Pitch Madness Competition are transformational for student entrepreneurs,” said Becca Husar, associate director of innovation and partnership development. She and Karinne Bredeson accompanied this year’s teams to DePaul. “These high-energy, real-world competitions push students beyond the classroom, forcing them to clarify their value proposition, pressure-test their business models and tell their story in front of seasoned judges and potential investors.
“Experiential learning moments like this are where confidence grows, ideas sharpen and students see what’s possible,” she added.
Ruelas offers advice to students as they contemplate what is possible on the road ahead:
“If you have an idea and don’t know where to start, take the leap and begin working on it,” he said. “Even if it’s on the smallest part. Chip away at it, piece by piece. Along the way, you’ll find like-minded people willing and able to help you along your path.”
To learn more about NIU’s De La Vega Innovation Lab, pitch competitions and startup programs, visit go.niu.edu/innovation-lab. For more about the NIU Office of Innovation, visit innovation.niu.edu.