A Decade of Stumberg Dreams

Ten years. Sixty teams. Nearly $600,000 invested. And countless ideas sparked into reality.

The Louis H. Stumberg Venture Competition, Trinity University’s signature two-part startup pitch contest, has spent the last decade fueling student innovation and entrepreneurial ambition. Across every spring and fall semester, the Stumberg Competition gives Trinity students the chance to pitch their ventures, compete for mentorship and funding, and discover where they fit within the fast-moving startup ecosystem.

On Tuesday, October 14, from 5:00-7:30 p.m., the competition will mark its milestone 10th anniversary with another high-stakes final round, where a $25,000 grand prize is at stake. But the real story of the Stumberg Competition is its sustained impact on student lives: fostering innovation, opening doors, and launching the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, and professionals, many of whom have moved beyond their startups.

Since its inception, the competition has propelled 119 finalists across 60 teams, awarding a total of $599,000 in funding and changing the trajectories of student entrepreneurs along the way.

Hear from alumni spanning this decade, whose journeys all began with a Stumberg Competition pitch. And see how their lives and careers were transformed by the competition’s enduring potential to unlock something more important than funding: lifelong connections, contagious confidence, and boundless creativity in the face of any odds.

Bobby Magee ’21
Startup: LuxTurn
Now: Managing Partner, Escalera Capital

As a motorcyclist, Bobby Magee ’21 wanted to ride on safer roads. With teammate Chris Stewart ’21, he launched LuxTurn, a device that helped their bikes project turn signals into adjacent lanes, and captured the 2018 Stumberg Prize.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic stalled LuxTurn’s patenting and manufacturing plans, Magee had to pivot. He turned toward real estate, launching and building what is now the investment firm Escalera Capital. “Today we have about 800 employees, about $500 million in real estate, and own multiple operating companies and a nonprofit,” he says.

This transition wasn’t easy. “That time after Stumberg was incredibly difficult,” Magee says. “I could either spend my time mourning and focusing on the problems, or I could focus on what I can control, and do something.”

Magee credits the competition for giving him the tools and network to adapt. “The mentors, the faculty, the alumni entrepreneurs—those are people I still talk to every day and do business with. I’m still mentored by multiple people I met through Stumberg. That community shaped me then and continues to impact me now.”

Chris Stewart ’21
Startup: LuxTurn
Now: Assistant Vice President, Amegy Bank

From designing a motorcycle turn signal to managing multimillion-dollar portfolios, Chris Stewart ’21 has built a career around problem-solving and relationships—skills first sharpened in the Stumberg Competition.

“I loved that Stumberg gave me the chance to learn how to register a business, 3D print a prototype, and pitch our idea,” Stewart says. “Those are all skills I still lean on today.”

After LuxTurn, Stewart rotated through lending groups in real estate, small business, corporate, and private banking before landing on his current team at Amegy Bank, where he now manages a $40 million loan portfolio. “The connections we built with some of the experts the University brought in—I’m still in contact with them,” he notes. “Every day’s a challenge, and I like that. My goal is to keep building my network.”

For Stewart, the Stumberg Competition also underscored the power of community. “Even a big city like San Antonio gets a lot smaller if you have the right connections. You run into a lot of the same people, and you need to know how to build those ties,” he says.

And sometimes those ties come full circle—one of Stewart’s clients today is his former LuxTurn partner, Bobby Magee. 

Wren Ramos ’23
Startup: New Works SA
Now: Fundraising Professional, Trinity University; Executive Director, New Works SA

For Wren Ramos ’23, Stumberg meant more than a competition—it meant creating a future. While still a student, Ramos co-founded New Works SA, a nonprofit theatre company that continues to thrive today. Now, she juggles two full-time roles: raising funds for Trinity University and leading New Works SA.

“I actually wouldn’t have gotten my job at Trinity without New Works,” Ramos says. “I didn’t possess the qualifications on paper, but the experience I gained running a nonprofit through Stumberg proved I could do the work.”

For Ramos, the most powerful part of Stumberg was the opportunity to build something real. “Instead of just filling an internship role, I got to start something of my own. You get paid by Trinity to launch and run a company—that’s a unique opportunity most schools don’t offer.”

The competition also unlocked new confidence. “Stumberg taught me everything about starting a business, and it was exciting to have professionals and professors tell me I had the ability within me to succeed,” she says.

Ramos believes that’s why the program leaves such a lasting mark. “Whether or not their companies still exist, Stumberg changes people. It definitely changed me.”

Taylor Condron ’22
Startup: New Works SA
Now: Research Fellow, Environmental Protection Agency

A biology major turned marine biologist, Taylor Condron ’22 has always balanced science with creativity. While at Trinity, she co-founded New Works SA, a nonprofit theatre company that provides San Antonio students with opportunities they might not find in their own schools.

Passionate about stage management and the technical side of theater, Condron leaned on the Stumberg Competition to transform her idea into a sustainable nonprofit. “What I remember most was a lot of late nights figuring out how to get this startup off the ground,” she says. Through the competition, she gained hands-on experience in nonprofit finances, legal structures, and administration.

Today, New Works SA is thriving. “It’s exploding,” Condron says. “We’re getting grant money, we’re pulling in passionate students and parents, and we have an amazing board.”

Condron now applies the same problem-solving mindset as a research fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency. And while the Stumberg Competition seed funding helped launch New Works SA, she says the real value came from mentorship. “The legal and financial advice—we still use those connections,” she says. “Stumberg taught me how to break down big, complicated processes into small steps that make the impossible feel achievable.”

Benjamin Collinger ’19
Startup: The Contemporary
Now: Senior  Associate, J.P. Morgan Chase

As a history and international studies major, Benjamin Collinger ’19 saw entrepreneurship as a way to create social impact. Through Stumberg, he launched The Contemporary, a student-led news platform designed to combat “news deserts” in communities lacking local coverage. “The goal was to empower college reporters to report on stories in their communities, not just their campuses,” he says. At its height, the publication expanded to 20 universities.

Now pursuing a career in economic development and financial services, Collinger is in a rotational program at J.P. Morgan Chase. He continues to apply the entrepreneurial mindset he built at Trinity. “There’s a big emphasis on trying to find important problems to solve,” he says. “That work ethic of humility—asking good questions, assuming you don’t know everything—that’s a core skill I learned from entrepreneurship and my Trinity education.”

For Collinger, the Stumberg Competition was a proving ground in a supportive environment. “It’s a really excellent way for students to test ideas while still having the support of professors as well as mentors and friends. Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways to create an impact on society, and Trinity’s program makes that possible.”

Ten years in, the Stumberg Competition is proof of what makes Trinity stand out: hands-on learning that pushes students beyond the classroom, paired with big-school entrepreneurship resources in a small, liberal arts setting. 

Come see the next generation of problem-solvers and critical thinkers take the stage at the 10th Anniversary Stumberg Venture Competition Finale on Tuesday, October 14. Doors open at 4:30, with the program to follow from 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Be sure to read up on the five finalists who’ll be competing for the next grand prize in the upcoming final round. Trinity would also like to thank and recognize an exciting panel of judges that includes:

Luz Cristal Glangchai, Ph.D, Founder & Chairperson, Venture Lab
Dawn Lafreeda, President & CEO, Den-Tex Central, Inc
Justin McMorrow '93, Chief Executive Office, Human Capital Education
Eric Stumberg, Co-Founder & CEO, TengoInternet, Inc.
Sandra Lilia Velasquez, CEO & Founder, Nopalera
Graham Weston, CEO, Weston Ventures, Inc.

 RSVP to save your spot, and be sure to see more details about the finalists and judges here.