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Since it began in 2015, the Catalyze Challenge has awarded nearly $100,000 in prize money and services and continues this year with a prize pool of $16,000. Catalyze 2022 launched in November and 11 teams are currently registered to compete in the April 21 final, including two teams from Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech’s Portland-Metro campus.

The Challenge has evolved over the years from a campus competition focused on entrepreneurship in Klamath Falls to a networking opportunity that supports student innovation and strengthens university-community partnerships. The competition fosters project development, design, and communications skills while boosting public understanding of the talent pipeline available at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech.

The recently completed Spring 2021 competition included renewable energy concepts, plant monitoring and an app for networking. Two teams went to on the statewide InventOR competition, with Electerro taking home first place and BioMass Gas placing fourth against teams from colleges and universities throughout Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ.

The 11 teams registered are as follows:

Team Name	Team Members
Accessible Mobile Health	Chrys Chan, 2022, Information Technology Le Quynh Dao Nguyen, 2022 Information Technology
Catalyze or Die	Jonathan Freilinger, 2024, Renewable Energy Engineering Roy Noland, 2024, Renewable Energy Engineering Natalie Arnot, 2024, Civil and Environmental Science
Find New Trails	Bradley Everest, 2023, Business - Marketing Option Michael Drury, 2023, Business - Management Option
Food Trucks on Main	Matt Volpe, 2023, Embedded Systems  Chris Eck, 2024, Business - Management Option Eren Bikmaz, 2022, Software Engineering Technology Niles Walter, 2023, Manufacturing Engineering Technology
Hemp Project	Luke Hongel, 2025, Mechanical Engineering Ezra Neese, 2025, Electrical Engineering Joshua Moore, 2025, Renewable Energy Engineering
NERFS	Graeme Wiltrout, 2026, Dual Computer & Software Engineering Eddie Medina, 2024, Software Engineering Technology Jemisha Vargas, 2025, Software Engineering Technology Marcus Delamarter, 2023, Mechanical Engineering Fletcher Stults, 2023, Mechanical Engineering Toby Ruston, 2025, Mechanical Engineering
Reddwoods Bakery	Rebekah Redd, 2023, Business - Management Option
SOLA	Mariano Segura, 2022, Mechanical Engineering Hanna Wolf, 2022, Renewable Energy Engineering
Stellarum Publishing	Gabbi Pech, 2022, Business - Marketing Option Hayden Pech, 2022, Business - Marketing Option
Tinder for Golf	Ethan Devore, 2023, Business - Marketing Option
Twin-line Energy Solutions	Jack Zoucha, 2023, B.S. Renewable Energy Engineering and M.S. Engineering

The 2022 event is made possible through generous sponsorship and donations from AVISTA, Business Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, the City of Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA), Klamath IDEA Center for Entrepreneurship, VertueLab, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Small Business Development Center, and the Wendt Family Foundation.

Competitors will have the opportunity to first present their concept at the annual SharkTech Venture Pitch Contest March 2, and are expected to compete in front of a panel of judges for the final competition April 21.

Anyone interested in helping with sponsorship, mentoring, sharing of expertise through a session with students, or in an advisory capacity, please contact Hallie Neupert, professor and department chair of Management at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech, at hallie.neupert@oit.edu.

For more information and competition guidelines, go to .

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