Mechanical engineering junior Ezekiel Shannonhouse went from being an everyday pet owner to an emerging businessman when he won ORU’s recent Launch competition, where he introduced his new pet tracking product.
In January 2025, Shannonhouse welcomed a puppy into his life — a beautiful husky named Prince. However, he soon realized that he could’t use a computer chip to track the puppy because the chip’s battery wouldn’t last long enough. Dissatisfied with the power consumption of the battery, he began his business, HALO Technologies, last spring.
The HALO Chip is a real-time GPS tracking implant for animals, eliminating the need for bulky collars and providing a solution to lost or stolen animals.
Shannonhouse nearly missed the opportunity to enter the HALO Chip in the Launch competition due to health problems.
“I had stomach issues and was in and out of the hospital,” Shannonhouse said.
An annual startup pitch competition hosted by ORU’s Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship, The Launch is designed to help student entrepreneurs transform business ideas into reality. Participants compete for a share of $10,000 in startup funding.
When he was announced the winner of the competition in November, Shannonhouse felt confused.
“My mom was screaming in the back,” he said. “I didn’t think I would win — maybe third or second.”
With an award of about $5,000, he dreams of his business one day having worldwide reach, not only for pets but also for livestock.
“It’s not how you start — it’s how you finish,” Shannonhouse said.“I’ve received a lot of ‘no’s,’ but never give up. That’s really important.”
His mother is an entrepreneur, real-estate investor and a single mom.
“So I’ve always had the mindset of an entrepreneur,” Shannonhouse said. “You have to believe in yourself. … I still struggle with imposter syndrome, but believing in yourself is key.”
Anagraciela Lara, who’s pursing an NBA and a master’s in computer science, tied for second place with Joshua Brennan, a graduate student going for an MBA.
Brennan described his Capra business idea as “a premium modular hat brand that lets you swap magnetic patches, ropes and future bill designs— turning one high-quality hat into endless styles while reducing overconsumption.”
Lara’s business idea, Torchbear, was inspired by trips to her grandfather’s ranch. She engineered a rope seal to create an outer casing using a heat fusion tool which seals the end of synthetic ropes. It helps to address fraying ropes and makes them more dependable for customers, she said.
