Negotium: Students Compete, Collaborate, and Create Across Nations

Partners in Collaboration
UTEP, New Mexico State University (NMSU), Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), and Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad Juárez (Tec)

The Big Picture
The Negotium Binational Business Competition, hosted by the Woody L. Hunt College of Business in collaboration with the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce, brought together student entrepreneurs from four universities across the U.S.–Mexico border to pitch cross-border business solutions at the Tomas Rivera Conference Center on Oct. 3.

The event showcased how collaboration across cultures drives creativity, problem-solving, and real-world impact.

Why It Matters
Negotium fosters the next generation of borderland innovators. Mixed teams from both countries worked with mentors in marketing, finance, and presentation skills before facing a panel of industry and academic judges.

What Happened

In the month leading up to Negotium, students developed original business plans for products and services that strengthen regional trade and collaboration.

After a morning of showcase presentations, eight finalist teams advanced to the main stage, where they delivered five-minute pitches followed by Q&A with judges representing UPS, GE Healthcare, Arca Coca-Cola, COPARMEX, Johnson & Johnson, and Raiz Federal Credit Union.

The afternoon featured keynote remarks from Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, Consul General of Mexico in El Paso, who emphasized how student-driven entrepreneurship contributes to border development and innovation.

By the Numbers

• 4 universities from two countries
• 80+ students participated in the challenge
• 8 finalist teams presented to a binational judging panel
• 10 laptops awarded courtesy of Arca Coca-Cola

John Hadjimarcou, Ph.D., Rick and Ginger Francis Dean, Woody L. Hunt College of Business
“Negotium brings students and institutions from both sides of the border to share ideas, tackle challenges, and learn from one another. It’s a celebration of innovation and collaboration — and thanks to partners like Arca Coca-Cola, who have provided prizes for our top teams, students leave with tools to carry their visions forward.”

Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, Consul General of Mexico in El Paso
“Initiatives like Negotium show the strength of our shared border region — where knowledge, culture, and entrepreneurship converge to create opportunity.”

Winning Pitches
First Place — TechSafe
A logistics company focused on semiconductor transport and security

• Jesús Adrian Martell Andrade, UACJ
• Valeria Ruvalcaba, UTEP
• Mario Rivera Saenz Pardo, Tec de Monterrey, Cd. Juárez
• Mia Scarlett Martínez Inzunza, Tec de Monterrey, Cd. Juárez

Second Place — Tripoint Logistics
Cross-border packaging and distribution solutions

• Polette Miranda, Tec de Monterrey, Cd. Juárez
• Karla Zamora, UTEP
• Jonathan Bolson, NMSU
• Octavio Gutiérrez, UTEP

Third Place — UpleX
A cross-border trade and networking app

• Salma Chávez Ramírez, UACJ
• Ezequiel Aguilar, UTEP
• Hamza Badrari, NMSU
• Ivanna Alexandra Acosta Guereca, Tec de Monterrey, Cd. Juárez

Looking Ahead
Negotium is part of Hunt Global Connect, a new initiative positioning UTEP’s Woody L. Hunt College of Business as a hub for U.S.-Mexico trade and commerce. 

Negotium will become an annual rotating event, hosted each year by a different partner university. The 2026 edition will be held at Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Ciudad Juárez, continuing the tradition of collaboration and entrepreneurship across the border.