For the past 39 years the Knapp Venture Competition has encouraged UCLA Anderson students to showcase their talents and learn from insights of successful entrepreneurs and business executives. The Knapp Competition has given more than 1,800 UCLA Anderson students a unique venture creation experience that has been instrumental in launching numerous businesses.

This year's winners are:

1st Place, $50,000 Elenita is America's first mezcal ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail in a can, giving consumers an accessible retail entry point into the world of mezcal. Made with artisanal mezcal made from 100% agave, natural flavors & juices, and carbonated water. Team: Jordan Dil ('19), Mikel Noriega ('19)

2nd Place, $25,000 (and recipient of the Muse Innovation Fellowship) EvalueMe is an enterprise SaaS plug-in for employee performance reviews that utilizes behavioral science and artificial intelligence to coach employees to provide a more meaningful, actionable, and unbiased review. Team: Shirin Nikaein (EMBA '19), Eli Selkin (Cal Poly Pomona M.S. '19), Nathan Cox (J.D. '19), Barbara Wong (J.D. '20), Hunter Carlisle (B.A. '19)

3rd Place, $15,000 Neighborhood Works is an affordable housing real estate development company targeted at ending chronic homelessness in Los Angeles by utilizing innovative construction techniques, financing strategies and new zoning policies.  Team: Greg Comanor ('19), Sonya Falcone ('19), Daniel Fine ('19), Aaron Sassounian ('19), Molly Tarrant ('19)

4th Place, $10,000: Eliqs is an online platform that brings together designers and local craft breweries, enabling personalized beers for any occasion.  Team: Max Berg ('19), Dave Goldman ('19), Chris Pelch ('19), Joe Schwappach ('19), Ashley Wright ('19)

5th Place, $5,000: Indarra is serving consumer appetite through the fusion of culinary art and robotic automation technology.   Team: Sai Ravi Behara (EMBA '19), Savitur Badhwar (EMBA '19), Farzad Massoudi (EMBA '19), Vineet Sharma (EMBA '19), Robin Schroder (EMBA '19)

FAST PITCH COMPETITION WINNERS:

1st Place, $1000 Veloscite is a science-first sports nutrition company with a mission to unlock your active potential. Team: Nima Alamdari (EMBA '19), Tanya Kaprealian (EMBA '19), Bryan Miller (EMBA '19), James Ouyang (EMBA '19), Jayson Wickenkamp (EMBA '19)

2nd Place, $500 Sweetpea is a premium baby gear rental solution for growing families. We provide high-quality and cost-efficient gear rentals to save parents money and time, which is better spent on and with their children. Team: Jennifer Limb ('19), Danny Frandsen ('19), John Olson ('19), Josh Miller ('19), Tania Tung ('19)