The Bardusch Family IdeaMakers Challenge is an early-stage business idea competition that invites undergraduate student teams to identify a problem and pitch a solution that involves digital innovation. Teams receive mentoring from faculty and industry leaders to develop their idea, and then pitch it to a panel of expert judges to compete for prizes during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC.
2026-2027 Competition Schedule
The 2025-2026 Bardusch Family IdeaMakers Challenge concluded in March 2026. Applications for the 2026-2027 Challenge will open in November 2026. Watch this page for the official schedule and details on the next competition!
About the Bardusch Family
In 2021, Penn State alumni Bob and Susan Bardusch created the " Bardusch Family IdeaMakers Challenge Endowment" to support student entrepreneurs in the College of IST.
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