November 05, 2025
Seven Mizzou Engineering students are headed for the final round of the 2025 Entrepreneur Quest (EQ), competing for part of a $30,000 prize pool.
The signature program of the Griggs Innovators Nexus at Mizzou, EQ offers participants access to resources and mentors, training them to translate their ideas into scalable start-ups.
The Mizzou Engineering students whose ventures are among the 10 finalist projects all seek to empower vulnerable individuals. Some of the entrepreneurs draw on their own experiences.
DeShawn Sutton saw the need for a simple, easy-to-use hygiene tool when he was in high school.
“In the shower, I had difficulties reaching the middle and upper parts of my back after workouts,” he said. “I decided to do something about it, because if I’m struggling with an issue, somebody else must be struggling with it as well.”
Chinyere Omeife’s idea arose from search for relief for her own sensitive skin.
“I have struggled with eczema since I was four,” she said. “I have always wished for something that adequately protects my hands during daily activities.”
All the finalists are seeking to apply their skills to solve real-world challenges.
“Technology should directly improve people’s lives,” said Hang Du, who is developing a cost-effective, fast and accurate way to detect sidewalk defects. “That’s the magic of engineering.”
Three teams will receive seed funding for their ventures during EQ’s final pitch competition Nov. 18. Here are the Mizzou Engineering students’ projects going into the finals.
Element IV
- Product: Reach, an easy-to-use manual back scrubber.
- Benefit: Enhanced cleanliness, comfort and independence for users of all sizes and abilities.
- Target market: Anyone with limited mobility, especially older individuals. Element IV surveyed more than 100 people on campus and found that nearly 50% had issues washing their backs.
- Lessons learned: “A multitude of things: patents and business types, marketing, knowing your consumer, creating a value proposition statement, how to get numbers and quantify your market,” Sutton said.
Sencare Medical Solutions LLC
- Product: A breathable, sweat-wicking, waterproof glove that relieves sensitive skin.
- Benefit: Improved quality of life, enabling people with sensitive skin to complete activities without worrying about hand irritation.
- Target market: The 31.6 million people in the United States who have eczema, dry skin, psoriasis and other skin conditions. “We all need hand coverings that we can wear for prolonged periods without excess hand sweat causing further irritation,” Omeife said.
- Lessons learned: “There is so much more that goes into a business besides financials. EQ has helped me improve my communication skills and knowledge of business legal jargon.”
SidewalkScan
- Product: SidewalkScan, cost-effective, fast and accurate software that can detect sidewalk defects using a simple camera, computer vision and 3D reconstruction.
- Benefit: Reduced inspection costs and time, faster repair decisions, and fewer injury-related legal claims.
- Market: Mid-sized city governments.
- Lessons learned: “How to identify target customers and understand their pain points,” Du said. “The mentors helped me communicate complex technical ideas clearly, conduct meaningful customer surveys, and navigate business and legal processes.”
Vital Track
- Product: VitalTrack, a health monitoring platform that empowers senior care providers to proactively monitor residents’ health and deliver robust emergency response.
- Benefit: Reduce caregiver stress and bring peace of mind to residents and their families. “Most senior care centers perform routine check-ins every two hours, leaving a lot of time for the residents to be unattended and vulnerable,” Bishop said. “VitalTrack would make the industry more proactive, actively tracking the health of their residents.”
- Target market: Senior care industry professionals.
- Lessons learned: How to present ourselves, approach legal issues and find data about our industry.
Discover more stories of student success at Mizzou Engineering.