Students from throughout the Cal State system vied for more than $130,000 in prize money at the Sunstone CSU Startup Launch competition on May 6. The event, held at Cal State Long Beach and featuring talent from six Cal State campuses, included four teams from the College of Business and Economics, one of which took first place, with the others coming in second in their respective categories.
The Sunstone competition is an annual event featuring student-led teams developing innovative and sustainable startups to launch or expand in the real world. Awards are given for categories – such as products, services and social enterprises – along with a host of specialty prizes covering excellence in presentation or diversity, among other factors.
10-8 Systems, developed by CSUF computer science grad and CSUF Startup Incubator resident Bryan Ruef, took first spot in the products category, netting $25,000. This startup, an affordable cloud-based computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for first responders, like firefighters and police officers, has already saved lives around the world during the coronavirus pandemic and recent natural disasters.
Led by Raymond Garcia ’23, an accounting student and CSUF Startup Incubator resident, Prospect took the second spot in the services category, earning $10,000. Garcia is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. With Prospect, he created a SaaS platform that gives an athlete’s most ardent supporters an insider ability to be part of the team through exclusive content and members-only perks in exchange for monthly membership. Struggling athletes can use monthly memberships to fund their training, enabling them to focus on physical fitness while still building their brand.
An entrepreneurship student team led by Young Yang ’22 (entrepreneurship) came in second and earned $10,000 in the social enterprises category. Their startup, Sustainable Bluefin Tuna, is dedicated to saving the endangered aquatic species by breeding the fish through artificial hatching and raising them using environmentally friendly practices.
Another CSUF team, Gotta Go, received a specialty prize for best presentation, worth $1,000. This company creates organic, vegan and gluten-free snack substitutes to improve child digestive health.
“Overall, a super job by the teams and a top finish for the college,” says John Bradley Jackson, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and a mentor to the CSUF teams. “This demonstrates the college’s commitment to preparing its entrepreneurially minded students for success in and out of the classroom.”
For More on Entrepreneurship
Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Entrepreneurship supports undergraduate and graduate programs designed to prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs. The center also sponsors startup programs and mentoring for new concepts, whether developed at CSUF or in the community.
Read more of our articles on entrepreneurship.
