2025 Innovation Challenge Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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RON RIZZUTO 2025 INNOVATION CHALLENGE NAMES TEAM PIONEERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
AS THE WINNERS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL 
MEDIA+TECH COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY COMPETITION 

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Recently Rebranded Case Study Competition Honoring MTC Board Member Emeritus Prof. Ron Rizzuto Explored the Business Case and Deployment Strategies for Broadband Providers AI Implementation Supporting Internet and Video Services

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$4,000 First Place Grand Prize, Industry Internship Opportunities Awarded at MTC Signature Event

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Team Pioneers of the University of Denver Celebrate Earning the $4,000 Grand Prize at the 18th Annual
Ron Rizzuto Innovation Challenge Competition from the Media+Tech Collective

(Left-to-Right) (Judge, , Zack Santulli (Team Pioneers), Jeremy Miller (Judge, Founder & CEO, Coravant), Ryan Seim (President, Media+Tech Collective, Florian Weinzierl (Team Pioneers), Prof. Ron Rizzuto (Board Member, Media+Tech Collective), Ed Mordini (Team Pioneers), Terrence Regan (Team Pioneers), William Eckert (Team Pioneers), Spectrum)​

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DENVER – March 7, 2025 – Team Pioneers, a student team from the University of Denver was named the grand prize winner of the 18th annual Ron Rizzuto 2025 Innovation Challenge case study competition - the Media+Tech Collective’s (MTC’s) signature event held earlier today.

Today’s finalists were three student teams selected from earlier area collegiate competitions, including graduate school students from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business and the Colorado State University College of Business School, and an undergraduate competitor from the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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Today’s winning students from the University of Denver were William Eckert, Ed Mordini, Terrence Regan, Zack Santulli, and Florian Weinzierl.

The students from Team Pioneers take home $4,000 for winning the case study competition.

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The 18th annual event was originally founded by former CTAM of the Rocky Mountains President Duane Dick and was rebranded this year to honor MTC board member, retired Prof. Ron Rizzuto from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. Rizzuto - named a Cable TV Pioneer back in 2004 – collaborated on the conception of the event while serving on the Board and has continued to champion its cause to this day. The Innovation Challenge brings together annually some of the region’s brightest young minds for the industry case competition. 

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This year, student teams tackled a real-world challenge, proposing actionable strategies for traditional broadband providers to maintain relevance as dual providers of internet and video services. Participants must assess artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) role in driving personalization and identify innovative ways for traditional broadband providers to compete effectively in the rapidly changing marketplace.

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“The Ron Rizzuto 2025 Innovation Challenge case study competition from three of Colorado’s finest institutions of higher learning was a tremendous success for the Media+Tech Collective. Congratulations to Team Pioneers and all of the finalists with fresh and innovating thinking on how best to implement the power of AI in the competitive marketplace,” said Ryan Seim, President of the Media+Tech Collective. “The MTC is so proud of Ron’s long-term contributions to the Board through his stellar career in academia and the industry at-large. He has created a lasting legacy with our 18th annual Innovation Challenge and the MTC is thrilled to honor him with renaming the case study competition.”

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Ron Rizzuto 2025 Innovation Challenge judges for Media+Tech Collective were:

•    Holly Hinze, Vice President, Digital Marketplace, Spectrum
•    Sally Huriaux, VP of Engineering Operations, Comcast West Division, Comcast
•    Jeremy Miller: Founder & CEO, Coravant
 
In addition to the $4,000 grand prize, $2,000 was awarded to the second-place team (Colorado State) and $1,000 to the third (Metro State), with members of all three teams having preferred opportunities for local industry internships. Previous hiring companies included Comcast, Sand Cherry Associates, Spectrum (Charter Communications) and Starz. Since the competition’s inception, many Innovation Challenge participants have secured permanent jobs at area companies following successful internships.

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Started in 2007, the Ron Rizzuto Innovation Challenge event gives business students real-life, pay TV/broadband/media/tech business case studies for intensive research and analysis. The Innovation Challenge leverages the great talent from the existing education base in the Greater Denver/Front Range area with the wide array of regional broadband/pay TV operators, programmers, consultants and vendors in the region. The Innovation Challenge is now bolstered by the MTC’s expansion welcoming membership and sponsorship from all companies in the media and technology businesses at-large including video, broadband, telephony, commercial services, and more.

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About the Media+Tech Collective

“Because Connections Matter,” the Media+Tech Collective (www.mediatechcollective.com) is a 501c(6) non-profit, open industry association that is dedicated to bringing together members from throughout the businesses of video entertainment and technology – including broadband, telephony, commercial services and more – with networking opportunities, educational programs, and social events. By providing affordable and engaging programs and sharing valuable industry information and contacts with industry peers, MTC members stay better informed and fulfill opportunities to become impactful leaders in their respective organizations. The MTC is the successor to the Rocky Mountain Cable Association.

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Contact:

Eric Becker
Media+Tech Collective PR/Communications Chair
(303) 638-3469
beckerericwpr@gmail.com