The 2026 Falcon Challenge

July 16, 2026 | 2-3 min read

On April 21st, students in the Falcon Challenge walked into the room with more than just a pitch—they carried a semester’s worth of collaboration, hard work, and a belief in their business concepts.

The annual competition, modeled after the popular television show Shark Tank, serves as the grand finale for Florida College’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management course. Throughout the semester, student teams collaborated to build original business concepts from the ground up, refining their ideas and preparing professional-grade presentations.

The primary purpose of the Falcon Challenge is to give students practical experience in entrepreneurship by encouraging innovative thinking, business planning, and professional presentation. In addition to gaining insight into what it takes to launch a business, students also strengthen their skills in public speaking, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving.

This year’s student teams pitched a wide variety of ideas, each designed to meet a specific need in today’s marketplace. At the final event, they pitched these start-up ideas to an esteemed panel of judges. The panel featured Florida College business professors Tom Quinn, Chase Clark, Peter Murphy, Brent Densford, Brian Perconti, Roxanne Wilson, and Dr. Brian Gilliam, alongside guest judges Todd Snapp (Vice President of Advancement at Florida College and a local entrepreneur) and Dr. Annetta Hastings (Florida College Major Gifts Officer).

These judges brought decades of collective, real-world industry experience to the evaluation table. Beyond just grading the presentations, they provided invaluable, constructive feedback—challenging the students while helping them see exactly how their classroom ideas could transition into viable real-world ventures.

At the conclusion of the event, the top team was selected and awarded scholarship prizes for their outstanding work.

Congratulations to this year’s winners: Aiden Stevens, Jake Gorick, Chase Cargile, Emily Boyd, and Darcy Johnson.

Each member of the winning team demonstrated strong attention to detail, creativity, and professionalism in both their concept and presentation. The faculty judges commended the team for their clear vision and the practical application of their business model.

The Falcon Challenge continues to be an important part of the Florida College business program, giving students the opportunity to gain real-world experience while pursuing both academic and spiritual goals. We are proud of all the students who participated in this year’s competition and look forward to seeing how they use their talents to follow Christ and serve others in the business world.

To learn more about our business department, click here.