EDWARDSVILLE, IL / CHICAGO, IL — May 2026 — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Bryon Pierson Jr. recently won 1st Place in the Alumni Track at DePaul University’s 2026 Purpose Pitch Competition for EDUrain, a student housing infrastructure startup focused on improving college student retention through better housing access and support.The annual competition, hosted by DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at TechNexus Venture Collaborative in ...