Tranise Robinson
1st Place: Onyx Oasis Bookstore
Onyx Oasis Bookstore is a Black woman-owned bookstore founded by a former educator to amplify literature by Black and brown authors and give readers of color greater representation in the stories they read. Beyond physical and e-books, the company is launching Arizona's first book vending machines — one placed in a local small business and another available for event rentals — to expand access to diverse literature. Growth is driven primarily through social media, local business partnerships, and community outreach, and a $10,000 grant would fund two vending machines, inventory, marketing, machine placement rent, and operational costs, with the machines projected to generate about $28,800 annually and recoup the investment within the first year.

Shannon Hughes
2nd Place: S. Hughes Creates
S.HUGHES Creates is an AI-powered creative agency that helps small businesses replace costly, time-consuming marketing work with affordable, repeatable AI systems — including custom websites, AI assistants, automated lead generation, content creation tools, and customer workflows. Unlike traditional agencies reliant on ongoing manual labor, the company builds systems that keep generating leads and content long after implementation, aiming to make enterprise-level AI accessible to local businesses without dedicated marketing departments. Serving small businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community organizations acquired through social media, workshops, partnerships, and referrals, S.HUGHES Creates earns revenue from website builds, AI implementation packages, and monthly retainers, maintaining 70-85% profit margins and planning to expand across Arizona while building scalable digital products for recurring revenue.

Nicolas Yendrzeski and Zach
3rd Place: PoliSys Technologies
PoliSys Technologies Inc. is a public benefit corporation that democratizes civic education through interactive digital learning tools and political system simulations. The platform combines structured educational content with simulation-based experiences, including a nation-state simulation that lets users build and manage political systems while learning how governance decisions shape society. Targeting students, educators, civically engaged individuals, and strategy gaming communities, PoliSys operates on a freemium model — offering free core content alongside premium subscriptions for advanced tools and simulations — and plans to grow through social media, student outreach, online communities, and partnerships with schools and civic organizations.