The Next Big Idea™

The Next Big Idea™ is an annual innovation competition at NTID sponsored by ZP Better Together.

Teams of deaf and hard-of-hearing students worked together to create a product, business, service or type of technology that solves a problem or eliminates an existing challenge for potential consumers and/or users everywhere.

Sign up for the Next Big Idea this year, and your idea could win big!

The Next Big Idea 2026 is here! See below for our full schedule and instructions to register you and your team:

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

Apply now!

To learn more about the Next Big Idea or for any questions, contact Kendell Charles at kxcnca@rit.edu.

1. The competition is open to all RIT/NTID-supported students* who are full-time matriculated students or graduate students and who are registered for classes during the 2025-2026 academic year. Entrants can have no academic, judicial or financial holds. *Interpreting and MSSE students also are eligible to enter.
2. Teams should create a product, service or type of technology that can benefit anyone, anywhere.
3. Teams consist of 2 - 5 students enrolled in at least two different disciplines (business, engineering, etc./departments)
4. All submissions, sales pitches and review of prototypes will be reviewed by a panel of four RIT/NTID faculty and staff judges who will ensure that the work meets the competition criteria and who will determine the winners.
5. Teams must adhere to deadlines. Failure to do so will disqualify the team from competition.
6. At least two out of five team members are required to attend review meetings. Failure to do so will disqualify the team from competition.
7. Teams may be required to meet certain project milestones along the way (i.e. complete business concept; complete marketing concept; develop sneak peek video, etc.).
8. Submissions must be the original work of the contestants and must not be in violation of copyright laws.
9. Submissions should not include racial slurs, sexist remarks, profanity or other inappropriate content.

First Round Presentation

• Create a business plan using slide presentations (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, or Prezi) to explain your idea. All presentations have a time limit of 3 minutes.
• Answer the following questions in your presentation:
  • What is the product or service?
  • What is the goal of this product or service? 
    • Introduction of the idea
  • What problem does your product or service idea solve?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • Use a survey to collect feedback about your idea
    • What data did you collect?
    • Ask family, friends, followers on social media.
    • Your goal is to prove that your idea is useful and marketable.
• Share your presentation link with Kendell Charles at kxcnca@rit.edu by April 8, 2026. 
  • Ensure your presentation is only viewable by those who have the link.

The Next Big Idea event is sponsored by ZP Better Together, who award the following prizes to the best ideas each year:

• 1st Place: $2,000 cash and $3,000 for your startup
• 2nd Place: $1,000 cash and $2,000 for your startup
• 3rd Place: $500 cash and $1,500 for your startup

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.

The Next Big Idea is an annual competition that is sponsored by ZP Better Together in partnership with NTID.

For any questions or inquiries, contact Kendell Charles at kxcnca@rit.edu.