A company seeking to decentralize the ride-sharing marketplace, putting drivers in control of their earnings, won the $2,500 top prize at the University of Georgia Idea Accelerator Demo Day pitch competition at Studio 225 on April 9.

JuzoGO, founded by Terry College MBA student Oge Okolo, allows riders to negotiate the price of trips, schedule in advance or split fares with others while drivers have control over their ride choices and pay zero commissions. The company aims to address problems plaguing the industry.

“These issues — high platform commission, rigid pricing and lack of control — have increased churn among good drivers and riders desperately looking for alternatives,” said Okolo to the five-judge panel. “JuzoGO is positioning itself as a viable alternative to this increased churn of drivers and riders. Riders can now negotiate or bid for fares, and then the drivers can accept or counter bid knowing they will keep 100% of that income. The drivers pay a $9 per day subscription fee to JuzoGO for platform use. For that fee, drivers and riders can enjoy the financial flexibility and the control.”

Drivers can sign up, get verified on the JuzoGO app and pay the subscription fee on the days they drive after enjoying 14 days free trial.

“This is good stuff. You’ve been doing this before, and this isn’t new territory for you. You know how to make the system better, solve a problem and create a solution,” said Bjorn Barja, Idea Accelerator judge and co-founder of Solution Mavericks LLC. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard of decentralizing ride-share, and I love it.”

KIV Management, a services company helping athletes build professional brands and work toward financial longevity, was created by Terry MBA student Kyra Vandiver and placed second. Niche Supplements, which makes healthy pre-workout supplements created by Terry College student Wyatt McAvoy, placed third.

“KIV was designed with community building, strategic branding, business and financial planning in mind,” Vandiver said. “Our goal is to help athletes develop their careers to be long-lasting off the field.”

This second spring competition marked the end of the 32nd cohort of the Idea Accelerator, which has included nearly 1,000 teams over the years. For this cohort, 29 business ideas vied for a spot in the finals, with 11 teams making it to the pitch competition. Joining Barja as judges were Jay Herzog (BBA ’86), retired president of Blackjack Paving; Tarun Ganeriwal (MBA ’09), president and CEO of KBH Industrial; Roseann Harpold (BS ’24), founder and CEO of HauntFest; and Chris Lutz, owner of Athens Roofing.

“This program is an intensive four-week program that we run four times a year to help students test their business ideas,” said Jim Flannery, a senior lecturer in the UGA Entrepreneurship Program who oversees the Idea Accelerators. “It starts with a simple philosophy: why do companies fail? We believe companies fail because people build things they don’t want to buy. And our job over the preceding four weeks was to help students test things without spending a lot of time building things.”

The other eight finalists were:

• Achieve with Purpose, founded by Keri Clarke-Pearson, is a career coaching program teaching students and young professionals how to build their brands and navigate the workplace.

• Bullit Sales, created by Terry College finance major Charles Kuntz, is a company that buys salvage goods and unwanted inventory from businesses and resells them on Amazon.

• Cres Cuts, founded by Terry finance major Nic Polumeyv, is a personalized salon offering haircut and styling services.

• Dawgy, created by Terry economics major Eduardo Amano, is a one-stop app for student deals, jobs, marketplace listings and small business promotions in Athens.

• Exam Rocket, founded by Terry MBA student Samuel Ogbonna, assists candidates in preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

• FarmTurn, created by UGA master’s student and 2023 graduate Raine Cox, is a company helping farmers and agribusiness owners regain profitability and long-term sustainability.

• Hailey LSAT Prep, founded by Kia Hailey, helps students improve LSAT scores by teaching a straightforward method.

• Zakoo’s Hummus, founded by Terry management majors and brothers Phillip and Patrick Shayeb, is an authentic Middle Eastern hummus brand.

The UGA Idea Accelerator is sponsored by the UGA Entrepreneurship Program and ATDC, with a mission to develop the mindset of future entrepreneurs and prepare students for business leadership roles. During the program, teams are paired with business mentors to give them advice and feedback on generating revenue and gaining customers.

The Entrepreneurship Program is a comprehensive academic program that encompasses experiential learning and equips students with the tools and resources to pursue their start-up ventures.