April 17, 2026
At the University of Missouri, students don’t just imagine the future; they help build it.
Recently, U.S. Bank partnered with Griggs Innovators Nexus, an entrepreneurial program at Mizzou, to host Idea Jam allowing students to collaborate and develop ideas that would enhance the student experience on campus. The idea behind the event was to provide students with an environment where they could bring their ideas to life in real time.
Teams were given a pretend $1 million budget with a challenge to implement something at Mizzou that would improve the student experience. They had three hours to develop an idea and a presentation they could then use to pitch their proposal. Winning team members were awarded a $1,000 scholarship from U.S. Bank.
The winning idea? A vending machine with built-in microwaves that serves hot meals in the MU Student Center.
“We actually came to win,” Jessica Osaze, a member of the winning team, said. “I knew that the most important part of winning was listening to everybody and recognizing everyone's strength.”
Shared leadership was a major component of their success, she said.
“This was an opportunity to lead for a common goal and for students to become leaders,” Osaze said. “Everyone had the opportunity to talk and understand. Leadership is about teamwork, a common goal, bringing everybody together and having everybody move towards that goal. That was the experience that we all shared.”
Even more impressive than the idea itself was how the team brought it to life, developing their plan without any assistance from technology.
“None of us opened our computer until we started creating the PowerPoint for our pitch,” team member Ugonna Kanu said.
After the team won, members discovered that plans for another convenient dining spot are already in progress at Mizzou. Winning team members have since been invited to present their specific idea at the Student Advisor Board Meeting.
“For us to be able to be part of that solution is just amazing,” team member Adidja Amisi said. “To hear that I am able to leave something at Mizzou that can help the school for the upcoming generations is a very fulfilling feeling.”
Idea Jam complemented the Missouri Method, Mizzou’s hands-on, learning-by-doing curriculum. It was an opportunity for students to challenge themselves, to think critically and to be in a space where they could collaborate with other Tigers from a variety of backgrounds.
“They were bringing their solutions through different lenses,” Kelsey Raymond, executive director of entrepreneurship programs at Griggs Innovators Nexus, said. “That helps to create better solutions.”
