MSU start-ups present at John Ruffatto

At the 31st annual John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge last fall, four MSU entrepreneur teams competed to secure business funding. Each team earned awards and monetary awards to support their various business ventures.

Thirty-one teams applied for a chance to pitch their ideas and win awards at the statewide challenge. Of those 31, nine were selected to advance to the next round, where the teams presented their businesses to a panel of judges and answered questions. Afterward, four teams were chosen for the final event. The event ran from Monday, Sept. 21 to Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.

Four of the nine competitors who advanced to the second round were from MSU. These teams were Gallatin Visual Media, Zesty Touch, SporeAttic and Legitimizer.

Gallatin Visual Media is a science communication production company aiming to help researchers, educators and companies effectively communicate with clients through film and photography. Zesty Touch is an app created to help reduce household food waste. SporeAttic is a commercial gourmet mushroom farm that provides mushrooms to Bozeman’s restaurants and farmer’s markets. Legitimizer is a program created to stop illegitimate apps. SporeAttic and Gallatin Visual Media were two of the four to advance to the final round.

Each of the four MSU startups secured funding for their project. SporeAttic took home a total of $10,750 —$6,250 for tying for second place, $3,500 for People’s Choice and $1,000 for Intent to Launch. Gallatin Visual Media also tied for second place and earned $6,250. Legitimizer earned $1,800 for being a finalist and an additional $1,500 for Most Innovative, and the startup founder, Joaquin Monterrosa, took home the $500 Brandon Speth Award for Charisma, Passion and Poise. Zesty Touch also received $1,800 in funding for being a finalist.

The Blackstone LaunchPad offered coaching and membership to each of the MSU teams. Kaitlin Lane, the owner of Zesty Touch, said, “They [the Blackstone LaunchPad] have been such a great help. They’ve connected me with a bunch of people as well as some competitions like the John Ruffatto… they’re awesome.”

The Blackstone LaunchPad is a resource available to all students, regardless of discipline or major. Using campus resources, local business networks and one-on-one mentoring, the Blackstone LaunchPad helps young entrepreneurs see their ventures come to life.

The John Ruffatto competition is another resource available for young entrepreneurs in Montana. Aside from offering various cash awards and funding for the companies, the questions from the judges gave competitors a chance to iron out the details of their business. “They asked me questions, made me think about a ton of different ways I could go with this application, and the process of meeting people and the different ways you can go about getting your startup up and running,” Lane said. “I really got to know my business better through this process.”

For any student with an interest in entrepreneurship, the Blackstone LaunchPad is available to you. By making an appointment, you can receive the coaching, mentoring and education needed to make your business a reality.