Thirteen entrepreneurial student teams from ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ competed April 23 at the 11th annual Catalyze Klamath Challenge for $20,500 in seed money to turn their product ideas and prototypes into real businesses. The winning concepts are DEC VAC, a patented deck vacuum attachment, and Luma Dental Technology, a concept for a fog-eliminating dental mirror.
DEC VAC, created by ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Mechanical Engineering alumnus Toby Ruston, is a deck vacuum attachment that connects to a standard shop vacuum to remove debris from outdoor decking. Ruston has already secured a patent for the design and continues to refine the product through ongoing testing and improvements. At the event, DEC VAC earned three awards totaling $8,000, which Ruston will use to continue product development, testing, and manufacturing with the goal of launching and growing the business in Klamath County.
In the first‑place technology track, Luma Dental Technology brought together ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ students Erick Amador‑Gonzalez (Mechanical Engineering), Anesti Audeh (Electrical Engineering), and Diego Garcia (Business Marketing) to address a common challenge in dental care. The team developed a concept for a dental mirror featuring a built‑in heated element designed to eliminate mirror fogging during patient exams, improving visibility and efficiency for dental professionals.
In addition to their first-place awards, the two teams were invited to present their concept at the statewide InventOR competition on June 26 in Bend.
The full list of 2026 winning projects includes:
- First Place Business Track – DEC VAC, Toby Ruston: $5,000 prize
- First Place Technology Track – Luma Dental Technology, Erick Amador-Gonzalez, Anesti Audeh, and Diego Garcia: $5,000 prize
- Second Place Business Track – Klamath Kitchen, Ebony McMillan and Savanna Sterck: $3,000 prize
- Second Place Technology Track – BrewBurn, Cruz Collin and Gage Hale: $3,000 prize
- People’s Choice – V.E.C.T.O.R., Baylee Hodgman, Anthony Lyzun, Jack Riddell, Kai Teppo, Zach Vandehey, and Andrew White: $2,000 prize
- Klamath IDEA Entrepreneur in Action – DEC VAC: $1,000 prize
- SCORI Rural Innovator Award – Sol Therapy, Solei Elletson: $1,000 prize
- SCORI Encore Award – Mark I, Noah Polen: $500 prize
- InventOR Award – DEC VAC: $2,000 prototyping grant. Luma Dental Technology was awarded a Wild Card entry into the final competition June 26.
This year's judges included Quincy Beyrouty, ReTee Golf; Randy Cox, Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA); Richard La China, Ninja Mountain Bike Performance; Chad Olney, Sage Credit Union; and Jonathan Teichert, City of Klamath Falls.
The 2026 event is made possible through generous sponsorship and donations from Avista Corporation, Beyrouty Employee Benefits, City of Klamath Falls, Cypress Creek Renewables, Darrel and Diana Samuels, Klamath County, Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA), Klamath IDEA, Oregon Small Business Development Center (SBDC), ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Foundation, ReeTee Golf, Sky Lakes Project Management, South-Central Oregon Innovation Hub (SCORI), and the Wendt Family Foundation.
For more information about the Catalyze Klamath, visit www.oit.edu/catalyze.
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