Writer: Alejandro Najera-Acosta, 575-646-2025, a_najera@nmsu.edu
The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University hosted the 2025 Hult Prize Pitch Competition on Oct. 30 as part of the Bold Idea Conference, bringing together students from diverse academic disciplines to pitch innovative, socially driven startup concepts aimed at solving global challenges.
This year’s competition featured a wide range of student-led ventures focused on health, technology, sustainability, and community impact. After an afternoon of compelling presentations, Hormona — a multidisciplinary team developing an at-home hormone tracking solution — earned first place. The team, comprised of Sydnee Johnson (business), Alyssa Hernandez (biology), and Melissa Torres (biology), met and are currently enrolled together in MGMT 461: Entrepreneurial Decision Making, where they have been learning to apply entrepreneurial frameworks to real-world problems. Their collaboration in the course played a key role in shaping the vision and development of their startup.
Hormona’s concept centers on improving access to hormone health insights. Their proposed at-home testing device would allow individuals to conveniently monitor and track key hormonal changes, helping users identify potential concerns early, better understand their health, and make more informed decisions. By connecting biology-driven research with a clear market need, the team created a solution with strong potential for both social impact and commercial viability.
“The Hormona team demonstrated exceptional clarity, creativity, and cross-disciplinary collaboration,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship. “Their vision for accessible hormone health directly reflects the spirit of the Hult Prize — empowering students to design solutions that can transform lives and drive global impact.”
The Hult Prize, often called the “Nobel Prize for students,” is one of the world’s most prestigious student entrepreneurship competitions. Each year, it challenges university students to build mission-driven startups aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, offering winners the opportunity to join an international digital incubator and later compete for a $1 million prize at the Global Accelerator.
“The quality of ideas presented this year was truly inspiring,” said Dana Catron, interim director and CEO of Arrowhead Center. “Hormona stood out for their thoughtful, user-centered approach, but every team brought forward the type of bold, impact-oriented innovation that we aim to foster at NMSU.”
To support continued innovation, all participating teams received a stipend and access to Hunt Center entrepreneurial resources, ensuring students can further develop their ideas beyond the competition.
Representing NMSU at the national stage, Team Hormona will now refine their venture and prepare to compete for a spot in the Hult Prize Global Accelerator, where finalists from universities worldwide convene to present their startups at Ashridge House near London for a chance to secure the $1 million award.
For more information about the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, contact Murguia at cmurguia@nmsu.edu or visit https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/the-hunt-center/.