The 2012 Broad Business Pitch Competition brought 55 of Michigan State University and the Broad College of Business’s entrepreneurial-minded students together for a challenging, yet fun and rewarding experience.
After submitting a pitch video and written business pitch proposal, each of the 28 teams was evaluated by a panel of judges. The 15 teams with the best ideas were selected to move on to the semi-finals and pitch marketplace event hosted on December 1 at the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development.
At the Henry Center, semi-finalists created display booths to showcase their business concepts to attendees and a new panel of judges. Attendees received 3,000 Broad dollars that they used to symbolically invest in their favorite businesses. At the conclusion of the pitch marketplace, five finalists were selected to compete for cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000. The finalists delivered 5-minute elevator pitches to a panel of judges that included Joseph Helgert, managing director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Mark Hooper, of Capital Community Angels and co-founder of Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC; and Heyden Graham, financial specialist from Quicken Loans and Bizdom.
Following the elevator pitches, attendees were treated to a presentation by Cuyler Hunter, CEO of UFunded, a crowdfunding business geared toward college communities, and a motivational talk by Rumia Ambrose-Burbank, founder and president of Vendor Managed Solutions, North America’s largest independent integrated supply company.
The Broad Business Pitch Competition winners were announced at the award luncheon held afterward for the finalists. Two People’s Choice Awards of $500 each were also awarded based upon attendees’ investments during the pitch marketplace.
The top prize of $5,000 went to TempoRun, developed by marketing senior Josh Leider and hospitality business senior Benjamin Ebert-Zavos. TempoRun is an app that will create music playlists for runners that match their desired tempos.
Second place was won by Twin Pints Cooperative, led by junior Anna Lukibanova and seniors Michael Spreng and Saira Shah. Their business concept is a cooperative that will operate a brewpub engaging craft beer drinkers and hobbyists.
Top Dog Tablets was awarded third place with their idea of a tablet that dissolves in dogs’ water bowls and fights biofilm buildup on dogs’ teeth and gums. This concept was created by Brian Mamassian, Brooke Vanderkelen, Andrea Conover, Zach Brunmeier, and Jennifer Ziegler.
Top Dog Tablets and Twin Pints Cooperative also received the People’s Choice Awards.
TempoRun delivers a 5-minute elevator pitch to a panel of judges.
Members of Twin Pints Cooperative accept their People’s Choice Award.
TempoRun accepts the award for first place.
Members of Top Dog Tablets pose with their awards.
Rumia Ambrose-Burbank gives a motivational speech at the award luncheon.
