The Next Big Idea™

An annual innovation competition sponsored by ZP Better Together for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at RIT/NTID. Collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams to design products, services, or technology that solve real-world problems.

Apply Now for 2027

Applications for the Next Big Idea are being accepted! To sign your team up, click below:

Apply now!

What Your Presentation Must Cover

Rules & Eligibility

Eligibility Requirements

• Open to all full-time matriculated RIT/NTID-supported undergraduate and graduate students registered for the 2026-2027 academic year (includes Interpreting and MSSE students).
• Entrants must have no academic, judicial, or financial holds.

Team Guidelines

• Teams must consist of 2 to 5 students.
• Members must represent at least two different academic disciplines or departments (e.g., Business + Engineering).

Competition Rules

• Originality: Submissions must be original work, compliant with copyright laws, and free of inappropriate content or profanity.
• Attendance: At least 2 team members must attend required review meetings.
• Milestones: Teams must meet all deadlines and required project milestones (concept write-ups, marketing previews, sneak peek videos). Failure to adhere to deadlines results in disqualification.
• Judging: A panel of 4 RIT/NTID faculty and staff judges will evaluate all submissions, sales pitches, and prototypes.

Each year, RIT/NTID students come together to create amazing ideas that impress our judges. Here are the 2026 winners and their ideas that have come to fruition as a result of the Next Big Idea competition: 

2026 Competition Results

1^st Place: Ember Block

Marden Kowalczyk (business administration)
Luca-Bella White (interior design)

EmberBlock is a portable, all-in-one, zero-waste fire system that redefines how fires are started and maintained. Built from natural, recycled materials, it combines ignition and long-lasting burn into a single, compact solution, eliminating the need for traditional fire starters and logs. Its modular design allows users to control burn time up to 6 hours, 3 hours, or 90 minutes per section, while maintaining portability and ease of use. By combining convenience, sustainability, and performance, EmberBlock delivers a cleaner, more efficient, and eco-friendly fire experience for modern outdoor users.

2^nd Place: TigerDash

Rebecca McGregor (organizational leadership and innovation)
Oliver McKown (graphic design)
Lexi Banks (graphic design)

TigerDash optimizes RIT’s dining infrastructure by introducing a specialized delivery layer to the current Order Ahead platform. Our mission is to enhance campus accessibility for students, staff, and faculty through a reliable, student-led logistics network. By utilizing existing resources to solve the "last-mile" delivery challenge, TigerDash creates student jobs while providing unparalleled convenience to the RIT community.

3^rd Place: Verdict

Danik Soudakoff (criminal justice)
Isabella Terzoli (ASL-English interpretation)

VERDICT is a comprehensive legal dictionary website that aims to provide Deaf consumers, Deaf and Hearing Interpreters, and Deaf professionals with accessible resources. VERDICT aims to fill in the gaps where there are no signs for specific terminology to support Deaf consumers' understanding of the criminal justice system and interpreters to effectively interpret complex legal information. VERDICT also wants to support continuing professional development by providing opportunities to offer workshops that are related to legal topics and CEU granting.