Fort Lewis College held the 8th annual Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition on April 15, 2023. After a day of pitching to a panel of judges that included local business owners and leaders, teams were awarded cash prizes to put toward making their business dreams a reality.  

Hawk Tank is open to teams led by current college students, recent graduates, and Four Corners area high school students. This year, seven Fort Lewis College teams, two recent alumni teams, and three high school teams competed. Participants worked on their business plans since January to win large amounts of cash prizes. 

Hawk Tank is an invaluable opportunity for participants to build foundations in business practices through hands-on experience and mentorship with local business leaders and FLC alumni. 

“The 2023 Hawk Tank was a huge success,” said Professor of Management Michael Valdez. “From the fantastic viable business plans trying to solve real-world problems to Dr. Taylor’s Event Management class putting on a world-class event, Hawk Tank continues to highlight what makes Fort Lewis College and our community so unique and special.”

In the college track, the first-place student team, Wakȟályapí Coffee, took home the grand prize of $10,000. Wakȟályapí Coffee was founded by Devyn Valandra, a junior studying Entrepreneurship & Small Business. CreativitEE won the second-place prize of $2,500, and Golden Hour Esports won the third-place prize of $1,000.

In the alumni track, recent FLC graduates competed for a $5,000 prize for the best business plan. The first-place prize was awarded to Peaks and Dreams.

In the high school track, students from the Durango and Four Corners regions competed for prizes of up to $500 for each member. The first-place prize was awarded to Wolverine Den, followed by Mystical Mystique in second place, and Forks and Knives in third place.

“The 2023 Hawk Tank was a huge success. From the fantastic viable business plans trying to solve real-world problems to Dr. Taylor’s Event Management class putting on a world-class event, Hawk Tank continues to highlight what makes Fort Lewis College and our community so unique and special.”

Michael Valdez, professor of Management

This year’s Hawk Tank events were supported by presenting sponsor Baird Private Wealth Management. Other generous sponsors include Swan Global Investments, Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado, J. Bo's Pizza and Rib Co., Carver's Brewing, Bank of the San Juans, Gene and Sally Bradley, San Juan College Foundation, and Four Corners Innovations, Inc.

Judges for the events included Bo Maloney, owner of J. Bo's Pizza and Rib Co.; Allison Aichele, treasurer and public trustee at La Plata County; Bill Luthy and Tina McCallum, vice presidents at RW Baird; Angelo and Jacquelene McHorse, owners of Bison Star Naturals; Nate Lee, vice president of corporate banking at Bank of America; Paul Clay, associate dean at FLC; and Justin Bates, managing director at IC Advisor Group.