HPU TEAM COMPETES AT HULT PRIZE NATIONALS WEST IN TUCSON

On April 17–18, 2026, Pierre Erard (’25) and Michael Lozada-Longog (’29) traveled will Dean Amy Nguyen-Chyung (College of Business) to Tucson, Arizona, to represent HPU at the Hult Prize Nationals West Competition, the next stage of the internationally recognized Hult Prize Startup Challenge.

The Nationals West competition brought together 35 elite teams from across the country. While labeled a “West” regional event, participating teams represented institutions from as far east as Maryland and Florida, underscoring the national scope and competitiveness of the field. These teams were selected from an initial pool of approximately 18,000 teams worldwide, which had been narrowed to 1,500 teams at the multiple nationals-level competitions.

The two-day event was hosted at the University of Arizona. On Friday, teams presented their ventures to experienced judges in 4-minute pitches followed by 4 minutes of Q&A, evaluated on team, idea, impact, and business strength. At the Nationals level, judges also assessed product–market fit and go-to-market strategy, but most ventures were already showing traction and scalability, which would be required at the global level.

On Saturday, eight finalist teams were selected to pitch in the final round. The day featured high-stakes presentations, keynote discussions, and judges’ deliberations. The first pitch of the day, Aura Insights, presented a mental health platform designed specifically for universities, earning top honors for its scalable approach to student well-being and filling a gap for universities to address NCAA requirements.

Selected teams were called forward one at a time to present, creating a high-energy atmosphere that tested both preparation and adaptability. Health tech and AI ventures were common, and one finalist venture, Atom, which uses computer vision, had already raised $2 million in funding. The final pitch of the day showcased a bold vision to bring artificial intelligence to millions of people across Africa without reliance on internet connectivity, highlighting the global ambition and social impact focus central to the Hult Prize mission. Aura Insights was eventually crowned the winner, but other teams among the finalists could potentially advance in a post-competition review.

The day concluded with a keynote panel, judges’ deliberation, and an awards ceremony, followed by a celebratory dinner at the Arizona Sands Club, offering teams valuable opportunities to network with peers and industry leaders. 

“I think this experience was really good, especially me being an undergrad freshman. This really can shape my four years here, inspiring me to be better and more outgoing, trying to build stuff and just being an entrepreneur. Without this experience, I probably wouldn’t have the same mindset I have now, and I really appreciate everything that the school has done for us to get here and for holding all the events,” said HPU Biomedical Engineering student Lozada-Longog.

“I’m really glad that I went. One of the most important things was that one of the judges was trying to solve the problem that we’retrying to solve in a very different way. We’re trying to reduce e-commerce fraud at the consumer level, stopping people frompurchasing from scam listings. They’re doing it at the supply chain level, whether a product from a listing is the correct product or afraudulent listing. We’re both solving the same problem, so it’s going to be good to connect together. This is a very valuableconnection that I would not have gotten if I had not gone to the Hult Prize. So even though I didn’t win, this was a great opportunity. And I’m glad that I came and pitched, and it was also a good opportunity to see my business in a different light,” said Erard, creator of PC Tech Tracker, who has been programming for 13 years and graduated from HPU summa cum laude in Fall 2025.

For Erard and Lozada-Longog, competing at Nationals provided invaluable exposure to national-level entrepreneurship, rigorous feedback, and collaboration with student innovators from across the country. Their participation reflects HPU’s growing presence on the global innovation stage and its commitment to preparing students to tackle real-world challenges through entrepreneurship.