June 20, 2025
Innovation in Bloom: How Alabama Students Are Building What’s Next
Students across Alabama are turning ideas into action and helping shape a more connected, locally grounded innovation economy. Two programs — Emerging Innovation Scholars, also known as the BIG Ideas Contest, and the HBCU App Build & Pitch Competition — are leading that charge. While different in format, both support a shared goal: developing student talent and showing that impactful careers can start and grow right here in Alabama.
At the University of Alabama, the BIG Ideas Contest has become a starting point for first-time problem solvers. Run by the Kennemer Center for Innovation and Social Impact in collaboration with Innovate Alabama, the program is open to all majors and designed for students with little or no experience. It challenges participants to focus on social impact rather than profit alone. With support from mentors and hands-on workshops, teams turn early ideas into viable solutions. The result is a steady stream of projects that may not have surfaced in a traditional business-plan competition.
“Through BIG Ideas, I learned how to apply my creative side to business. It challenged me to think about the social impact of a product. I also learned more about Alabama and the possibility of working here.” – Monica Lopez, a recent BIG Ideas participant
Her experience highlights the program’s purpose, which is to connect students with local opportunities and help them see a future in the state.
This year’s contest delivered on that mission. Out of 13 teams, two earned the grand prize.
Aya Technologies proposed an AI-powered fetal monitor for rural mothers.
BioBand created a smart bandage that changes color to detect infections early, with a focus on low-resource communities lacking access to consistent medical care.
Both teams received $4,000 and were recognized for addressing real-world health needs. Other standout entries focused on solar forecasting, adaptive test prep and campus emergency response, reflecting a strong culture of student-led innovation.
The BIG Ideas model is growing beyond the University of Alabama. With support from Innovate Alabama, four additional campuses — Stillman College, Talladega College, the University of North Alabama and the University of South Alabama — each received $50,000 to launch their own versions of the contest. Expanding to both HBCUs and regional universities helps make student innovation more accessible and evenly distributed statewide.
The HBCU App Build & Pitch Competition, launched this spring by The Alabama Collective in partnership with Innovate Alabama, followed a similar approach. Designed for students at historically Black colleges and universities, the event combined business training with live app development. Finalists completed a boot camp that included workshops, mentorship and pitch coaching before presenting their ideas to a panel of judges.
Alabama State University won first place for Mom Care, a mobile app designed to support new mothers. The second-place prize of $3,000 went to Alabama A&M for NextUp, an app that helps students discover, track and apply for career opportunities. In third place, Talladega College earned $2,000 for Fine Print, an app that helps consumers identify and avoid hidden risks in contracts, subscriptions and other legal agreements.
Beyond the competition, The Alabama Collective continues to invest in the future of these students, providing the top three teams scholarships to participate in a Builders + Backers startup accelerator cohort. More than a one-day event, the competition gave students access to tools, feedback, opportunities and industry connections that often take years to build. Leaders behind both programs view them as more than competitions.
“We’re building futures, one pitch at a time,” said Charisse Stokes, executive director of The Alabama Collective.
Shannon Allen, Innovate Alabama program manager leading talent development initiatives, emphasized the long-term goal of keeping talent in the state. “It’s about showing students that they don’t have to leave Alabama to scale their ideas,” she said. “We also want to expose them to the industry and to the job opportunities that are already here.”
The BIG Ideas Contest and the HBCU App Build & Pitch Competition reflect Alabama’s commitment to developing student talent through coordinated, statewide efforts that reach beyond the classroom.
Sustaining that momentum will require continued investment in programs that turn ideas into careers. The talent is here. The infrastructure is growing. The opportunity now is to stay focused, scale what works and make sure more students see Alabama as the best place to start.
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