FHSU University Communications
Compass Community Center, a plan for a center providing accessible transitional housing, employment, job training, recovery coaching, and life skills to unhoused women, won the 2025 Faulkner Challenge, FHSU’s spring business plan competition.
Niya Teresita Gaines, an MBA student from Stockton, Calif., focusing on healthcare management, created the plan to address the rising number of unhoused women in DuPage County, Ill. Gaines said the Compass Community Center idea came about through a collaboration with her fiancé.
“I personally want to be a behavioral/mental health director,” she said. “I find it fulfilling to help those who want to help themselves. When I mentioned this aspiration to my partner, Claude, he then chimed in, stating that it is his lifetime goal to create a homeless shelter.”
Current shelters often fail to keep unhoused people from living on the streets, Gaines said.
“Therefore, to separate those who would bring their outside behavior into the shelter from those who are genuinely trying to improve their circumstances and get on their feet, a program would be established alongside the shelter to ensure safety and support progress,” she said. “That would be a holistic approach to recovery and care.”
Eight teams competed in the final round of the Faulkner Challenge, delivering “innovative and inspiring business proposals,” according to Henry Schwaller, Department of Management instructor.
“This year’s event was truly groundbreaking, bringing together FHSU students from across the globe and showcasing a diverse array of entrepreneurial ideas,” Schwaller said. “The creativity, professionalism, and vision demonstrated by the participants set a new standard for excellence, making this one of the most memorable competitions in the event’s history.”
Second place was awarded to the team of Diana Angarita, Venezuela; Noah Erichsen, Ellsworth; Dustin Rajewski, Hays; Chelsie Rose, Scott City; and Bryce Steffan, Ellinwood; for their project “Flavor to Fertilizer,” a solar-powered composter for grocery stores. William Tice, Viola, won third place with his business proposal, “Triple T Livestock Feed,” livestock-pressed block feed manufactured from grain dust.
The Faulkner Challenge is a business plan competition designed to develop entrepreneurial imagination and innovation in university students, regardless of major or interests. It is open to any new venture in the conceptual, seed, or startup stages and to students from any community college or university in Kansas. Teams are evaluated on their ability to clearly identify a market opportunity, value proposition, and sustainable competitive advantage.
While all entries are welcome, of special interest are proposals for innovations in or design of products, processes, systems, services, or businesses that are economically sustainable, with promise for social and or environmental benefit.
FHSU alum Kevin Faulkner established an endowed fund for the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship business plan challenge that now bears his name.
“This event owes its success to the generosity of Kevin Faulkner, whose support played a vital role in the success of this year’s Faulkner Challenge,” Schwaller said. “We extend our gratitude for his invaluable time, mentorship, and insightful guidance, which had a lasting impact on the competing teams.”
For Gaines, winning the Faulkner Challenge has been encouraging and exciting.
“The project has instilled a sense of possibility, as in this is something that can be done,” she said. “This project made me create the blueprint for what I would like to do in the future.”