Ouachita Baptist University’s Hickingbotham School of Business hosted its 13th annual
Business Plan Competition in December. Madison Melcher, a senior business administration
major from Rockwall, Texas, placed first in the competition with her business plan,
Covered by Grace, and received a $5,000 cash prize. Melcher was advised by Johan Eriksson,
visiting instructor of business administration and director of entrepreneurship programs.

Covered by Grace merges the physical and digital formats of the Bible to provide a
personalized and cohesive user experience. 

“Madison is a super gifted student,” said Eriksson. “She took a business that she
had worked on for a while and really made it her own.”

Starting at a young age, Melcher pursued several creative outlets. She said, “Walking
away from the competition, I have learned that resilience and confidence pay off.
And Professor Eriksson has provided indispensable knowledge and experience.”

Second place went to Jillian Woodruff, a senior business administration/management
major from Hope, Ark., who created Wadderbuddy, a device used to help hunters remove
waders. She was advised by Dr. Chris Brune, professor of finance and holder of the
George Young Chair of Business, and received a $4,000 cash prize. 

Members of the team that placed third were Connor Bjerke, a senior accounting and
finance double major from Oak Leaf, Texas; Emma Bynum, a senior biology from Troup,
Texas; Jade Dorman, a senior biology and Spanish double major from Benton, Ark.; Keren
Fernandez, a 2022 nutrition & dietetics and biology graduate from San Pedro Sula,
Honduras; and Kaitlyn Montgomery, a senior biology major from Montgomery, Texas. The
team created Microcures, a biotechnology company that developed therapy for non-small
cell lung cancer and were advised by Dr. Nathan Reyna, professor of biology. They
were awarded a $3,000 cash prize. 

Fourth place, with a $2,000 cash prize, was awarded to a team that included Heather
Brown, a senior finance, business administration/marketing and business administration/entrepreneurship
triple major from Omaha, Texas; Colton Schrader, a senior finance and business administration/entrepreneurship
double major from Red Oak Texas; Jacob Smith, a senior finance and business administration/entrepreneurship
double major from Rowlett, Texas; and Cooper Timmons, a senior business administration/management
and business administration/entrepreneurship double major from League City, Texas.
They created Shade M-8, a lens cover for active glasses, and were advised by Eriksson.

The team in fifth place, also advised by Eriksson, was made up of Trey Flint, a senior
business administration/management and business administration/marketing double major
from Grapevine, Texas; Jax Gasaway, a 2022 business administration/entrepreneurship
graduate from Star City, Ark.; Hailey Houghton, a senior business administration/entrepreneurship
major from Stuttgart, Ark.; Peyton Stafford, a 2022 finance, business administration/marketing
and business administration/entrepreneurship triple major from Amarillo, Texas; and
Morris Tsuma, a senior business administration/management and business administration/marketing
double major from Arlington, Texas. They created Tidy Tractor, a mobile cleaning station
for agriculture equipment, and won a $1,000 cash prize. 

Open to any students on campus who want to participate, the competition is modeled
after the statewide Governor’s Cup Business Competition, and many students go on to
compete and place in it. 

“The Hickingbotham School of Business has a proud legacy of entrepreneurship,” Eriksson
said. “Dean Bryan McKinney is so committed to creating these opportunities and rewarding
these students who put the work in.”

To learn more about the business plan competition at Ouachita, contact Johan Eriksson
at erikssonj@obu.edu or at (870) 245-5071.