MEDIA ALERT Catalyze Klamath Final April 23 will award $20,500
WHEN: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 4 to 7 p.m. Members of the community and media are invited to attend.
WHERE: CEET Auditorium, Oregon Tech, 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, Ore. 97601
WHAT: The Catalyze Challenge is an annual student competition at Oregon Tech that supports innovative business ideas aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and job growth in rural Oregon. The 11th annual event is scheduled for April 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Oregon Tech's CEET Auditorium with a prize pool of $20,500.
Thirteen Oregon Tech student teams from various disciplines, including business, engineering, and health sciences, will present innovative solutions with business development plans for Klamath Falls.
Competing participants are: · AdventuroUS o Miguel Figueroa, Business Management · BrewBurn o Cruz Collin, Renewable Energy Engineering o Gage Hale, Business Management · CarbonCycle o Annie Campos, Environmental Sciences o Sara Daniels, Environmental Sciences o Jacob Maier, Electrical Engineering o Kyra Morris, Renewable Energy Engineering o Beatrice Pierson, Biology-Health Sciences · Custom Artificial Muscles o Erick Amador-Gonzalez, Mechanical Engineering o Anesti Audeh, Electrical Engineering o Dana Glasser, Electrical Engineering o Jacob Maier, Electrical Engineering o Thomas Moore, Electrical Engineering · DEC VAC o Toby Ruston, Mechanical Engineering, Alum · Final Drive o Jason Kern, Business Marketing o Alex Lumbreras, Business Marketing · KIT’s o Kathleen Wyborny, Business Marketing · Klamath Kitchen o Ebony McMillan, Business Marketing o Savanna Sterck, Business Marketing · Luma Dental Technology o Erick Amador-Gonzalez, Mechanical Engineering o Anesti Audeh, Electrical Engineering o Diego Garcia, Business Marketing · Mark One o Noah Polen, Civil Engineering · Sol Therapy o Solei Elletson, Business Management · Tierra Energy o Leah Segura, Pre- Medical Imaging · V.E.C.T.O.R. o Baylee Hodgman, Mechanical Engineering o Anthony Lyzun, Mechanical Engineering o Jack Riddell, Electrical Engineering o Kai Teppo, Mechanical Engineering o Zach Vandehey, Mechanical Engineering o Andrew White, Mechanical Engineering
SPONSORS: The 2026 event is made possible through generous sponsorship and donations from Avista Corporation, Beyrouty Employee Benefits, City of Klamath Falls, Cypress Creek Renewables, Darrel and Diana Samuels, Klamath County, Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA), Klamath IDEA, Oregon Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Oregon Tech Foundation, ReeTee Golf, Sky Lakes Project Management, South-Central Oregon Innovation Hub, and the Wendt Family Foundation.
Support is also provided by InventOR, which will award one team $2,000 to progress to the statewide InventOR competition.
DETAILS: For more information, visit www.oit.edu/catalyze
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_Submitted by Ashley Van Essen, Public Affairs, Oregon Tech (541-885-1162, ashley.vanessen@oit.edu)._
