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Omar Villanueva '26 on winning this year's challenge

My name is Omar Luna Villanueva '26, President of BRIDGE Solutions, where we build and elevate the marketing, operational, and backend systems of blue‑collar businesses. This idea started over tacos at 2 a.m. in our on‑campus apartments after nights of little sleep and brainstorming. Thanks to Professor Gary Johnson, I was given the chance to create something of my own instead of joining an existing group, and that opportunity changed everything.

Cristian Sanchez Godinez '27 and I wanted to build a business that didn’t just serve us, but honored the community that raised us. When we asked ourselves what we truly knew, the answer was right in front of us: the skilled trades our parents practiced their whole lives and taught us as well—the blue‑collar work that keeps communities running. Through renewing the First Gen Foresters student organization, we shaped a model that empowers first‑generation students to give back using the knowledge they gained in college.

As the Venture Design Challenge finals approached, we realized we needed a team. We brought in Juan Huerta Rodriguez '29, Victoria Liu '27, and Julianna Tatad '26, and spent weeks in the Oppenheimer Center—days, nights, balancing classes, jobs, and everything else—building a real business. 

I could not be more grateful for these go‑getters. We partnered with professionals, reached out to small businesses, cold‑called for hours, and poured everything we had into bringing BRIDGE Solutions to life.

The day came when we competed with many other great teams. Having our families in attendance meant the world to us because this was just as much for them as it was for us. When we heard “BRIDGE Solutions!” called out as a winner, we jumped out of our chairs—hugged, laughed, and cried.

We have the support of so many people and professionals who continue to meet with us. Our goal is to grow this little “project” into something special.

Today, we’re growing faster than we imagined. We’ve added Ariel Pacheco '27 and Melanie Lopez '27 to our team and are already working with three businesses as test drives. And this is only the beginning. Our vision is to build a system that helps businesses modernize, scale, and thrive. We want BRIDGE Solutions to become the go‑to partner for tradespeople who have the talent and work ethic but need support on the business side to reach the next level.

We’re determined to turn this “little project” into a movement—one that uplifts our families, our communities, and the next generation of first‑gen leaders. The future is wide open, and we’re just getting started.