Jesuit Schools Take Top Honors at TCU Ventures & Values Competition
Two startups from Jesuit universities claimed first and second place at this April's TCU Ventures & Values competition, bringing home a combined $60,000 in prize money — and demonstrating that values-driven entrepreneurship is alive and well in the JECA community.
About the Competition
TCU Ventures & Values is Texas Christian University's entrepreneurship competition, drawing student startup teams from universities across the country to pitch ventures that reflect both business promise and a commitment to meaningful impact.
First Place — The Petition Co. (Georgetown University) — $40,000
The Petition Co. tackles one of the most tedious and costly inefficiencies in American democracy: signature validation. When a candidate runs for office or a ballot initiative is organized, campaigns are required to collect a minimum number of signatures from eligible voters — registered voters of the correct party and district. Validating those signatures by hand is an expensive, time-consuming process, with campaign staff manually cross-referencing PDFs against voter files name by name.
The Petition Co. uses AI software to read scanned voting-related documents and automatically match each signature against a list of eligible voters, dramatically reducing the time and cost of the validation process before submission to the Secretary of State. It's a clear example of technology serving democratic infrastructure — a fitting mission for a startup rooted in Georgetown's tradition of political engagement and public service.
Second Place — Cent IQ (Loyola Marymount University) — $20,000
Cent IQ is reimagining financial literacy for the next generation. Delivered through short-form video lessons, swipe-based content, and gamified quizzes, the platform meets students where they already are — on their phones, consuming content in formats they love. The platform offers over 400 lessons aligned to state and national financial literacy standards, along with teacher dashboards, class leaderboards, and detailed analytics.
Beyond the classroom, Cent IQ partners with financial institutions to extend financial education into underserved communities, helping institutions meet CRA requirements while driving real community impact. The CentIQ Foundation extends that mission further, bringing the full platform to schools and organizations serving those who need it most — reflecting the Jesuit values of solidarity and care for the whole person that define Loyola Marymount's identity.
A Win for the JECA Community
While TCU Ventures & Values is not a Jesuit competition, the results this April speak for themselves. Two JECA schools, two radically different problems, and two ventures built with both rigor and purpose. It's exactly the kind of entrepreneurship JECA exists to support.