Kennesaw State University biology major SueAnn Hollowell earned second place on Apr. 8 in the inaugural University System of Georgia Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition held this week.
The event, hosted at Kennesaw State’s Marietta Campus, brought together student innovators from the USG’s 25 member institutions to present original business or innovation concepts. The competition was described as a “championship of minds” by Chancellor Sonny Perdue and featured more than $25,000 in cash prizes along with access to institutional accelerator programs.
“It was an absolute privilege to welcome such driven and talented student entrepreneurs to Kennesaw State and to witness firsthand their focus, creativity, and determination,” said KSU President Kathy S. Schwaig. “Hosting the inaugural USG competition was a true point of pride for KSU, and we were especially proud to support and celebrate SueAnn’s remarkable second‑place finish in a highly competitive field.”
Hollowell advanced to the final round with her business proposal for PaintCo Labs Inc., a patented commercial body art printer that prints custom sports designs directly onto skin within seconds. She received $7,500 for her entry while Georgia Institute of Technology’s AdaptaPlay won first place with its modular gaming controller designed for accessibility.
“I feel so grateful and honored to be the first person to represent KSU in this competition,” Hollowell said. “Just being able to network with other teams has been one of the best aspects of participating. We were all so supportive of each other throughout. Even though we were in competition, we understood that were all pulling for the same thing – the support of entrepreneurship and growing our businesses.”
Colin Ake, executive director of incubation and commercialization at KSU, said: “The opening of the Robin and Doug Shore Innovation Center, the continued success of our student entrepreneurship programs and the HatchBridge Incubator, and SueAnn’s strong performance at the competition all demonstrate KSU’s commitment to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship that improves lives and fuels Georgia’s economic growth.”
Next year’s USG Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is scheduled to take place at Georgia Southern University.
