Pre-Fall #2 for MBA.PM class of 2013 was all about celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship! The Lloyd Greif Center of Entrepreneurship organized a Fast-Pitch competition on August 19th and 20th. In each core, a group consisted of no more than five students. Team members ranked each other's business plan based on clear identification of customer pain point and feasibility of the plan. One business plan was chosen by the group. The selected team member presented the business plan to the core. Here are the brief version of the four selected finalists.
Kristen Krausfeldt currently works in the fitness industry for athletic apparel company, lululemon athletica, and has created a solution to the existing gym membership models. Understanding the challenges facing the gym and studio owners, Kristen identified the desire of “fit consumers” to have flexibility and variety in their workout routines. By leveraging both needs with a website that would direct consumers to underutilized classes/ times of day in exchange for discounted pricing, Kristen suggested that her idea would allow consumers to belong to multiple gyms for an affordable price. Ultimately, this idea was chosen because start up investment costs are minimal and scale, with a market potential of $2.2 Trillian, is substantial.
Amy Hvitfeldtsen's objective was to provide physicians (specifically cardiologists and surgeons) with a patient risk stratification software that efficiently allows them to calculate a patients level of risk/ and or mortality pre-operatively--prior to catheterization and or cardiac surgery. The software would sit upon a hospitals existing EMR (electronic medical recording) system and interface with patient records. The goal is to increase patient quality outcomes and drive down excessive hospital readmission costs.
Stephanie Fine's Aqua Cradle is the only safe and adjustable maternity pillow that provides adequate womb support to pregnant women who suffer from discomfort during sleep as a result of sleeping on their sides. Aqua Cradle replaces body pillows, which are often oversized and not adjustable and therefore fail to provide the needed womb support for pregnant women. Aqua Cradle (patent-pending) uses air and water chambers to allow users to safely and easily adjust its contour to support a healthy, growing womb.
Elizabeth Chang's calling lies in the answer to the question - How do you carry a kayak in a Smart Car? The Mini-Trailer for Mini-Cars allows sub-compact car owners to keep the benefits of a small car (gas mileage, parking in a tight spaces) with flexible hauling space only when needed. The product will initially be sold in select markets to trailer dealers, and marketed via social media.
Special thanks to Ashish Guha for the blog entry