University of Missouri–St. Louis freshman Ethan Wallace (center) holds his award for second place in the Products, Services, Retail & Experiences category for the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge at the University of Missouri–Kansas City on April 24. Standing alongside Wallace are (on left) Jeff Hornsby, executive director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC, and David Block, president of Block & Company. (Photos by Taylor Willmore, Startland News)
Ethan Wallace’s knack for innovation is quickly gaining attention. It may also prompt the University of Missouri–St. Louis freshman to reconsider what his college journey could look like.
During the 2026 PitchFest at UMSL’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center in early March, Wallace tied for second place and won $500 for MonoFilament Recycler, an invention designed to provide an affordable way to recycle waste from 3D printing. The momentum continued on April 24 at the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where Wallace again placed second, this time earning $10,000 in the Products, Services, Retail & Experiences category.
“It’s been pretty crazy, but I’ve been getting these positive responses, and I haven’t hit any massive roadblock that’s made me feel like I can’t do it at all,” said Wallace, who first came up with the idea while at Mehlville High School. “So I think I’m going to keep going with this until I either make it work or realize I can’t. And if I can’t, I’ll figure out what needs to change so eventually I can.”
The experience has already made Wallace consider changing his area of study. Currently pursuing a degree in international business through the Ed G. Smith College of Business, Wallace said the early success at pitch competitions combined with his interest in building things has him wondering if he should take a longer look at UMSL’s School of Engineering. Or perhaps a double major would be the way to go.
“I’m kind of split between engineering and business, because I like both things, but there’s no way that I can fuse them into a regular job, because the fusion of both of those is like literally being a business owner,” Wallace said. “But it’s definitely been eye-opening.”
Wallace said there were over 100 entries in the UMKC competition, split into four separate categories: Products, Services, Retail & Experiences; Creative, Arts & Culture; Health, Wellness & Medical; and Tech & Digital Innovation. Entrants had multiple opportunities to make a pitch in front of four judges, with the contestants eventually getting whittled down to four finalists in each category.
For PitchFest, Wallace was able to team up with his partner in the business venture, senior Victor Chiu, but Chiu was unable to make the trip to Kansas City due to obligations in one of his classes, so Wallace had to make the presentation on his own. However, he credited Chiu with getting him prepared, and Wallace said he surprised himself with how he was able to perform in the moment.
“Honestly, it wasn’t that bad, and I found out that I could get past the anxiousness,” he said. “I thought that it would be way worse, doing it by myself, but that was just kind of all in my head.”
Asmahan Ghaleb, flanked by Jeff Hornsby (left), executive director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and David Block, president of Block & Company, displays the Founder’s Lab Award after being named “Most Improved” during a pitch competition at UMKC.
Wallace said he is now considering his next options. He would like to use the prize money to build a prototype for his product, which Wallace believes will be an important step for future pitches. One such opportunity is Arch Grants, a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization that supports early-stage startups by providing equity-free funding, mentorship and resources to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses in St. Louis.
“I just want to keep on going and try to show new things,” Wallace said.
Another UMSL student who participated in the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge, Asmahan Ghaleb earned a Founder’s Lab Award of $1,000 after being named “Most Improved.” A junior pre-nursing major who had tied Wallace for second place at PitchFest, Ghaleb presented her idea for HealthGuide USA, a website created to help people better understand the healthcare system and explore the care options available to them.
“It was a long day, and it was very stressful, but it was a great experience,” Ghaleb said.
Although she did not finish among the finalists, Ghaleb said her idea did resonate with one of the judges. Ghaleb said Myles Howell, a Kansas City-based entrepreneur and investor with a particular interest in improving healthcare in the U.S., encouraged Ghaleb to reach out to him after the competition was completed.
“He wants to make this website even bigger and maybe publish it as an app or something like that,” Ghaleb said. “I told myself, if I don’t win, that’s fine, because I met this person who could be very helpful, and I know that because he loved, loved, loved my idea.”
EIC Executive Director Scott Morris touted the recent success of Wallace and Ghaleb as a reflection of the growing entrepreneurial culture fostered through the EIC, which aims to support students from a wide range of academic backgrounds as they develop and pursue innovative ideas.
“Ethan Wallace’s $10,000 award and Asmahan Ghaleb’s recognition for HealthGuide USA are great examples of what’s possible when we create opportunities that extend beyond a single college,” Morris said. “While we are always excited to see strong outcomes from the Ed G. Smith College of Business, what is especially meaningful here is how this reflects the EIC’s broader, university-wide commitment to supporting students across all disciplines.”
