Moraine Park Technical College is celebrating the accomplishments of students Hyong Tran and Tiffini Johnson, both of Fond du Lac, who placed in the top four at the 2025 New Ideas Pitch Competition last week.
The NEW Ideas Pitch Challenge is an opportunity for area technical college students to display their entrepreneurial skills. The entries were evaluated on content, delivery, visual aids, creativity, and overall persuasion. From there, the top entries advanced to the challenge event on May 1, held this year at Nicolet College.
Johnson’s pitch was Hero Bands–a smart wearable designed to keep families connected through health. Each band continuously monitors vital signs like heart rate, oxygen levels, and activity, instantly sharing critical updates with linked family members’ bands. If an emergency or unusual reading is detected, the connected band vibrates and displays an alert, ensuring help is never far away. Ideal for aging parents, kids, or anyone with health concerns, Hero Band brings peace of mind through real-time, family-first health tracking. Johnson placed third overall in the competition.
Tran presented a pitch on the We GO App–a community-focused app designed to combat loneliness by helping people build meaningful local connections. The app matches users based on shared interests, schedules, and proximity. With features like neighborhood meetups, hobby groups, and one-on-one coffee chats, We Go makes it easy to turn nearby strangers into familiar faces. By fostering genuine relationships, the app creates stronger, more connected communities. Tran placed fourth overall in the competition.
Moraine Park instructor Jeff Stueber worked with the students and provided coaching.
Congratulations to both students for their hard work and for representing Moraine Park in the top four–we are proud of you!