‘Think outside conventional paths’: Merlick Mongbo, AI-powered basketball training ecosystem creator

Flexing your entrepreneurship/innovation muscles

My journey with entrepreneurship at Iowa State started in 2023 when a friend invited me to join the Entrepreneur Club and the Entrepreneurial Product Development Club. Since then, I’ve been learning about pain points, supply and demand, value creation, market research, and customer discovery, as well as communication and a proactive mindset. I then participated in events organized by the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, notably the Fall Start-Up Pitch Competition in 2025 and the Side Hustle Challenge in 2026, in both of which I was awarded first place for my idea.

Do you have a startup or business?

I’m currently working on a basketball training ecosystem for beginner to advanced level players that uses computer vision and an AI-powered app to generate custom and precise analytics for real-time feedback and adjustment.

Value of Iowa State’s innovation/entrepreneurial resources

There’s a plethora of resources available to students on their entrepreneurial journey at Iowa State. The ones that have been — and still are — most relevant to me are the people and opportunities I’ve come across during my time in entrepreneurship clubs and at pitching events, the feedback I received from judges and peers during and after pitch competitions, and the assistance and expertise from the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship staff. Additionally, I got into prototyping and 3D printing thanks to the Electronics, Textiles, and 3D Printing Makerspace in the Student Innovation Center.

Taking this mindset into your career

Knowing I have developed the ability to think outside conventional paths means I have the confidence to blaze a new trail when the obvious one seems to lead to nowhere. In more practical terms, it means I can either work for a salary, or lead people as a CEO in solving a particular problem, while taking on significant risks but enjoying the rewards later.

How do you hope to change the world?

I hope to change the world one project at a time, by learning, applying, testing, iterating, and doing it all over again.

When you first saw yourself as an innovator/entrepreneur

As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved creating new things, be it in drawing, painting or while tinkering around the house. Then I learned much later that when you do that with more refined skills and people pay you, you are an entrepreneur!