Southern University Baton Rouge wins BizTech Challenge

Four Southern University Baton Rouge (SUBR) students collected a $10,000 grand prize after placing first in the Bayou Classic Biztech Challenge on Friday.
Their business pitch, Our Glass, caters to herbal tea consumers and is a 3-D printable, portable bottle that is insulated and allows consumers to brew tea on the go.
Adorned in a white t-shirt with baby blue writing that spelled Our Glass, senior Mechanical Engineering and Supply Chain major from Mer Rouge, LA, Nathan Morrison, presented the problem of not being able to brew tea quickly without a heating element nearby.
After coming up with the idea, Morrison sought out those who he knew could help bring his vision to life. SUBR students, Polite Stewart. Jr., Rashad Pierre and Ashley Lewis were the three additional powerhouses behind Our Glass.
“We have to get patented, trademarked and figure out who gets what,” Morrison stated in regards to the volume of investment offers that the quartet have recently begun to receive after their victory.
The students received a $10,000 check in which they will split 4 ways. They were also gifted $10,000 in legal fees.
Sophomore Electrical Engineering major and New Orleans native, Ashley Lewis, was a member of the team and speaks of how joyful she was upon defeating her competitors.
“We put in the work. We used our expertise to the fullest potential and it showed. The judges saw that,” said Lewis.
“I jumped for joy initially. I realized I was the first African-American female from SUBR within a group to win this contest. I realize that now young black girls from Southern, or from Grambling … will see. The next winners will say, oh I can do that too because she did,” proclaimed Lewis.
Morrison admits that Our Glass was birthed after being unable to brew a tea bag while playing a Playstaion 4.
“An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered,” finished Morrison.