Each year, student entrepreneurs are presented with numerous challenges and business competitions, forcing them to decide whether to compete or not. Instead of viewing each opportunity or call for submissions as an isolated event, it’s crucial to see them as part of a cumulative experience—one that involves competing, learning, and evolving across multiple platforms.
Recently, a group of UC Irvine students embodied this spirit as they worked to bring their vision, Sentinel, to life. While the Sentinel team initially came together to compete in a business challenge, they actually found success by continuing their journey—entering multiple competitions, elevating their idea to new levels, and gaining valuable lessons along the way. Their story is one of persistence, teamwork, and the true value of embracing the process of competition.
The Team and the Birth of Sentinel
The Sentinel team consists of several talented students from diverse academic backgrounds who used their unique skill sets to develop and refine their project. The team is made up of:
- Kyle Deck: Mechanical Engineering
- Michael Ross: Aerospace Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
- Nathan Ampudia: Business Administration
- Redford Hudson: Data Science
Prior to developing the idea for Sentinel, several members of the team had the opportunity to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. CES is the largest technology conference in the world, and it is best known for showcasing the latest innovations from tech giants and startups alike. Recognizing the value of attending such a prominent event to help inspire ideas, the UCI ANTrepreneur Center sponsored the team’s trip. Accompanied by Ryan Foland, Director of the UCI ANTrepreneur Center, and Larry Wilk, Faculty Director of the ANTrepreneur Center, the team was exposed to the latest cutting-edge technologies, which played a crucial role in inspiring and shaping their project.
At CES, the team developed the idea for a driver-conscious AI dashcam designed to detect distraction and fatigue among truck drivers. Powered by onboard sensors and machine learning models, the team aimed to alert drivers when they fall asleep or become distracted, potentially preventing accidents and enhancing road safety.
“Attending CES opened our eyes to all of the technological possibilities that exist in the world today. Seeing what Cipia was doing with their DMS inspired us to create our own after we realized that there were over 520,000 trucking accidents every year with over 70% being due to distraction and fatigue,” explained Kyle Deck. “Simply knowing that type of technology was possible helped us significantly in the development of Sentinel.”
The team was also inspired by the conversations they had while networking with UC Irvine alumni and other professionals at the UC Irvine dinner hosted by Thomas Andriola, Vice Provost for Data and Information Technology. This gathering allowed the team to connect and engage in discussions that provided fresh perspectives on their project.
Competing in the FCN Tech for Social Impact Accelerator
Following CES, the team turned their attention to the Ford College Network (FCN) Tech for Social Impact Accelerator, which brought together student teams from various institutions to compete for funding. The program emphasized empathy-building, problem-space mapping, prototyping, and storytelling to develop solutions that could transition from concepts to actual interventions.
Though the team entered without a fully developed idea, they tackled the competition with a mission to create a significant community impact. While the team did not win the FCN competition, it provided an important foundation and launching point for Sentinel.
“Losing the Ford competition was tough, but it fueled our determination,” said Nathan Ampudia. “We took the feedback seriously and used it to refine our project.”
The Evolving Team Dynamic and Competing Again
Motivated to continue making progress, the team returned with a renewed sense of purpose and new ideas to improve Sentinel. While they faced several challenges, including the departure of a key member, they remained committed to their goal and joined forces with other students who complemented their strengths.
The team decided they would move forward with the idea by competing in more competitions. “Deciding to compete beyond the FCN competition proved to be a great decision, but it wasn’t as easy of a transition as some might think,” said Deck. “Fortunately, our final team was built around six people who complemented each other perfectly from hardware, software, and business perspectives, which allowed us to create a working MVP in just a few weeks.”
Participating in multiple competitions allowed the team to continually refine their pitch, product, and approach. Each competition offered new feedback, insights, and connections. The experience of pitching to different judges, investors, and audiences honed their skills and helped them build a stronger, more resilient product. This iterative process ultimately led the team to win multiple prestigious competitions, including:
- 1st place overall in the UC Irvine Stella Zhang New Venture Competition, winning $20,000. See the winning pitch here.
- 1st place in the Business Products and Services Track at the UCI Stella Zhang New Venture Competition, securing an additional $10,000.
- 1st place in the UCI Butterworth Product Design Competition, earning $10,000.
- 2nd place in the C&C Innovative Solutions SoCal Super Pitch Competition, receiving $1,250.
These victories were not just about winning prize money—they were about the cumulative learning and growth that came from each competition. According to Michael Ross:
“One of the primary challenges we had was simplifying the technical concepts and presenting them in a concise manner that still conveyed the benefit of the product. Some of what we saw at CES and how companies presented their technology helped us imagine how we could display ours—and for Butterworth, that really came in handy as we had great display days at our booth!”
Vice Provost Andriola congratulated the team for their efforts, saying: “I just love the fact that the team leveraged multiple competitions to test out their idea, working to make it better each time.” He adds: “These types of experiences are key building blocks to their success as entrepreneurs, but also as high-skilled workers in the economy of the future. I’m excited to see where Sentinel goes!”
The Real Takeaway: Embrace the Process
For student entrepreneurs, the key lesson here is that competitions are not isolated events but part of a larger process of building, validating, and refining your ideas. Whether it’s the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition, the Beall Butterworth Competition, the Hult Prize, or any other local or national competition, the value lies in the experience itself.
Competitions provide opportunities to pitch your ideas, receive feedback, meet investors, and network with other innovators. They help you understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to pivot when necessary. Most importantly, they help you build the resilience needed to succeed in the competitive world of entrepreneurship.
As ANTrepreneur Center Director Ryan Foland reminds:
“Competitions are not just about the prizes—they’re about the process of building something meaningful. Each competition is an opportunity to refine your ideas, test your assumptions, and grow as an entrepreneur. Embrace the journey, because it’s through this process that you truly find success.”
Call to Action: Join the Next Challenge and Enroll in the new AI Innovation Course (Course Code 87414)
As this team’s journey shows, real winners aren’t the ones who win a single competition but those who are willing to compete, learn, and grow continuously. For UC Irvine students interested in entrepreneurship, the next opportunities to compete are just around the corner.
UC Irvine will be sponsoring two teams for the next FCN competition, and the call for interest is now open. Additionally, students are encouraged to enroll in the ANTrepreneur Center’s upcoming Fall AI Innovation Course open to undergrads and graduate students. The AI Innovation Course is a one credit class, and students will have a chance to participate in the class demo day to win their part of $50,000 in prizes. Find and register using Course Code 87414, spaces are limited. Don’t miss your chance to be part of a journey that could define your future.