Broad College of Business student Bailey Paxton, founder of Smart Staffing
Broad College of Business student Bailey Paxton (BA Finance ’18) and his team have taken home third place in the annual SXSW Student Startup Madness Competition, which showcases college digital media startups.
The Student Startup Madness tournament allows students to compete against one another, building their network, all while attracting potential investors and entrepreneurs who can help their dreams become a reality.
Paxton’s concept of Smart Staffing, founded in 2017, was created with the intent of optimizing the process of matching caregivers and patients for elderly home healthcare companies.
“Smart Staffing is a map-based program that gives staffing recommendations based on patient needs, caregiver background, location, and personality. Our software can save owners $45,000–$90,000 a year in direct overhead costs while maximizing revenue, minimizing scheduling errors, and improving caregiver retention and customer satisfaction,” notes Paxton.
With more than 200 student applicants from universities across the country, Paxton and his team made it into the “Entrepreneurial Eight” in the third and final round of the competition, which took place in Austin, Texas. Here, the remaining teams presented their sales pitch in front of a panel of judges.
Having taken home an impressive third place, Paxton and team have received prizes of:
- A subscription to Foundersuite
- Gift cards to JackThreads and GoPuff (totaling $2,500 in value)
- One-on-one pitch meetings with Lerer Hippeau Ventures and McCune Capital
- Access to the StageXchange platform (investors can then access the startup’s information)
Since competing in SXSW, Paxton and Smart Staffing have competed in the GreenLight Michigan Business Model Competition, taking home second place among undergraduate startups and fifth place overall.
