Star Spotlight: Joshua Ogiba ’26

Watching his phone sink to the depths of Lake Michigan turned out to be an inspirational moment for Joshua Ogiba.

It led him to design Foamey, a floating, waterproof phone case preventing the accidental loss of mobile phones in lakes, pools and other bodies of water.

The unique product, along with Joshua’s standout business plan for successful sales, earned him the $10,000 grand prize in last spring’s Launchpad Business Pitch Competition, the Shark Tank-style contest for DU business students. He’s using the funds to further develop his company and the product itself.

Joshua, an entrepreneurship major, also runs a photography and video business, Ogi Optics, to assist real estate agencies in marketing properties.

He credits the Brennan School of Business career mentors for helping make his aspirations a reality.

“Mentorship is the best possible way to learn,” Joshua says. “It’s priceless. You can pay for a course or learn stuff online, but it can’t beat the real-world experience and connection you have with a mentor.”