UTEP Senior Wins National Entrepreneurship Competition
Submission idea, Health Tag, is a rapid test kit to measure fabric toxicity
EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 29, 2024) – Arat Fraga, a 23-year-old senior in management in the Woody L. Hunt College of Business at The University of Texas at El Paso, has emerged as one of four national winners of the latest Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition. Fraga's concept, Health Tag, a rapid test kit to measure fabric toxicity, secured him the top spot in the Consumer Products and Services Track category.
Fraga's motivation behind Health Tag stems from his desire to protect infants and newborns from harmful chemicals found in clothing and linens. By providing parents with a tool to assess the toxicity of fabrics, Health Tag aims to enhance children's health and safety. As a national winner, Fraga has been awarded $10,000 to further develop his innovative idea.
"I firmly believe that by making informed consumer choices, we can improve the quality of life and health outcomes in the U.S.," said Fraga. "Given my lifelong commitment to health and wellbeing, I have dedicated myself wholeheartedly to this project."
The Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition serves as a platform for students with early-stage ideas to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and compete for various prizes, including cash and additional support. The nationwide competition also fosters innovation skills such as growth mindset, creativity, critical thinking and leadership.
Fraga's journey to the winner's circle was far from conventional. Initially pursuing an engineering degree at UTEP, he discovered his passion for acting and decided to minor in the field. This led him to secure a scholarship through the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program, enabling him to study acting in London. However, Fraga eventually dropped out of the university and ventured into the world of real estate.
Driven by his newfound passion for the business world, Fraga returned to UTEP in 2022 as a management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship in the Woody L. Hunt College of Business. With the support of his professors and staff at the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce, he found the resources and guidance necessary to embark on his entrepreneurial journey.
“We’re proud of the vibrant community we’ve built based on collaboration, mentorship, and support,” said Maria Fernanda Fiscal, director of Mike Loya Center, which houses the Blackstone LaunchPad at UTEP. “We strive to create an ecosystem that empowers our students to transform their ideas into flourishing ventures, and we see Arat’s success on a national platform such as the Blackstone LaunchPad Ideas Competition as validation of our efforts.”
Fraga's next step towards bringing Health Tag to market involves applying for a place in the business incubator, VentureWell. The outcome of his application will be revealed in April. If accepted, Fraga will gain access to additional grants, mentorship, networking opportunities and other tools crucial for the development of his idea.
For more information on the resources available at UTEP to support entrepreneurship and new business ventures, visit the homepage of the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce.
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 172 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on February 29, 2024 at 12:00 AM | Originally published February 29, 2024
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
