From idea spotting to the business plan and marketing strategy to the pitch, students in Beaver’s entrepreneurship elective have spent the term learning the different facets of being an entrepreneur. Each student developed their own idea for a new and innovative company – one that will make a positive impact on an industry or on society and also be driven by profit. The following five ideas were voted the best in class. Led by a student CEO, these ideas will be pitched to a panel of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs on Shark Day, February 23.
CEO: Malena Horne ’18
Team: Jason Waldman ’18, Jake Cowen-Whitman ’18, Abe Gonzalez ’18, Sophia Cohen ’18
Company: B Bar
Give us your elevator pitch. You’ve got 3 floors (30 seconds = 3 sentences) to tell us what’s your product/service all about.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet it’s the one that’s most often skipped. Accessible to all of the Beaver community, B BAR is a mini café that will be located in the new R+D center. From fresh breakfast sandwiches to fruit smoothies to the coffee you like, we have all you need to stay energized throughout your day.
What inspired your idea?
I was inspired by my daily log to create B BAR because the one thing I noticed continuously was that I was usually hungry in the mornings and unable to eat breakfast.
Who is your target audience?
My target audience right now is definitely the Beaver community, but expanding to other independent schools is also on my mind.
What are the most pressing challenges you think you and your team will need to tackle?
One challenge will be getting people involved in the company, such as student volunteers, but I think that once people see what B BAR is all about they will want to be apart of it.
What strengths does your team bring to the table?
One of my team’s strengths is our marketing strategies and the different abilities we each bring to the table.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see a bright future for B BAR and I see myself expanding the idea to not only the Beaver community but other private and public schools as well.
If your company is around in 10 years, what would it look like?
Eventually, it would break off and turn into its own successful restaurant instead of a small café within a school.
CEO: Jack Duval ’18
Team: Ryan Dorian ’18, Tomas Gonzalez ’19, Annabelle Fulton ’18, Charlie Griffin ’20
Company: JD Technologies – Shield One
Give us your elevator pitch.
In today’s world, where there are trillions of megabytes of data stored on “the cloud,” network security is more important than ever. Whether the data is passwords, family photos, or banking information, anything stored online can be accessed by anyone with a laptop and some free hacking tools. Our product provides consumers with an enterprise-grade cybersecurity system for a very reasonable price; this will ensure the safety of people everywhere on the increasingly vulnerable internet. Our company is founded on three core values: Accessibility, Efficacy, and Efficiency.
What inspired your idea?
Over the summer, while watching Mr. Robot on TV, I became extremely interested in the idea of cybersecurity and hacking. After about 20 minutes of research, I was successfully able to gain unauthorized access to – i.e., hack into – my wifi network. Contrary to Fios’s claims, they did not alert us that our network had been breached. Out of curiosity, I began researching consumer options for cybersecurity. To my surprise, there were no options with 100 percent success available.
Who is your target audience?
As crazy as it may sound, our target audience is anyone who has wifi in their home. However, in reality, this is next to impossible. We plan to focus on reaching a beachhead market of families here in the greater Boston Area. To increase the number of customers in our push to market, we may offer incentives such as free installation and setup.
What are the most pressing challenges you think you and your team will need to tackle?
Our biggest challenge is going to be successful marketing and advertising of the product. With tons of technical details, we will have to work diligently to keep the big picture in focus for the team and for the consumers.
What strengths does your team bring to the table?
Our team is truly one of a kind. Each member brings unique skills and traits, whether they lie on the marketing side or the technical side. I believe that we will be able to develop a semi-functional prototype in addition to strong advertising.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
After attending Northeastern University for undergrad, I plan on attending grad school. After this I’d love to start my own company, but who knows! Only time will tell! At this time I’m pretty confident I’ll be somewhere in the tech sector, and maybe producing music as well. No matter where I end up I will be sure to pursue independent research in addition to my primary career.
If your company is around in 10 years, what would it look like?
If our company is around in 10 years, I believe we will have refined our technology and reached our mass market audience. I also believe that we may be able to incorporate new pieces into our company like built-in VPN’s and cellular data protection as well. We will most likely expand to a bigger size, especially to maintain the core values of the company.
CEO: John Heffernan ’19
Team: Maddie Mullin ’18, Sammi Cutler ’18, Mason Vega ’18, Charlie Coes ’18
Company: NFL – VR
Give us the elevator pitch.
My idea is the Live Virtual Reality Sports Program. It will allow anyone to experience being at any game in the country from their living room. Virtual reality is a revolutionary concept that is growing rapidly and this could be the next step in the future of watching live events.
What inspired your idea?
My inspiration for this idea came from my first experience trying a virtual reality headset. It was a mesmerizing experience and I couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to watch live events through it, instead of pre-recorded scenes. I have always had a love for watching sports and, even more so, going to the events. I want everyone to have the same opportunity to experience what it’s like to be there in a seat, engulfed by fans.
Who is your target audience?
The audience I intend to target would begin with the avid sports watcher and the people who might not be able to attend every game. Although this is my first target audience, anyone who watches sports can benefit and love this new and cool experience.
What are the most pressing challenges you think you and your team will need to tackle?
Our largest problem as a group might be the larger competitive virtual reality market. This is an idea that has been thrown around for a little while, but no one has the ideas that I do. Virtual reality is growing and it is going to be essential for me to jump in before it’s too late.
What strengths does your team bring to the table?
I have a great team and we are all excited and interested in learning about virtual reality as well as running a company. It is going to be fun and a new experience for all of us, as we dive into the entrepreneurship field.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself as a business man that has put a dent into the virtual reality world – and even the whole sports and sports-watching worlds. Hopefully, I will one day see this on the full scale.
If your company is around in 10 years, what would it look like?
I see this company on top of the sports viewership world. I want to see a headset in almost every home and people being amazed by the experience that this offers. I hope this will also grow to most sports and be available to everyone around the globe.
CEO: Sam Waldman ’18
Team: Matt Rosenblum ’18, Lisa Winshall ’18, Rene Sullivan ’18, Jen Levin ’18
Company: Park It
Give us the elevator pitch.
Imagine this: You pull into the Beaver parking lot on a gross, rainy day, wondering if you’ll be able to find a spot close to the building or have to walk all the way from Woodland. As you pass the school sign and your blinker clicks off, a voice on your phone clicks on. It’s ParkIT, with the automated voice telling you which rows and specific spots are open or if the lot is full. Let your worries wash away in the windshield wipers!
What inspired your idea?
My inspiration comes from the constant frustration of not being able to easily find an open spot, which forces me to take the long, unnecessary walk.
Who is your target audience?
Parents, teachers, and students of Beaver Country Day School, because this problem is not apparent with one group of people: It is a problem for everyone who drives at Beaver.
What are the most pressing challenges you think you and your team will need to tackle?
The most difficult obstacle my team will face is tackling the technology side. Since none of us have experience with creating an app, it will make it difficult to create a working prototype. But I think we are up for the challenge.
What strengths does your team bring to the table?
My team brings a variety of strengths ranging from marketing to collaboration to strategizing. I think our best strength is we all understand how to market to our consumers, especially with our video for the bake sale. I think with the right marketing, my team will be able to show that our product can be available to all types of consumers.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself successfully making a startup grow into a profitable business. Business is what I intend to study in college and pursue a career in, so this class is a peek into what my life could look like.
If your company is around in 10 years, what would it look like?
If my company is around in 10 years, everyone would be using it. I can see every Beaver student using Park IT on their way to school. But it won’t be just Beaver. All private schools in the area, companies in Boston, everyone will be using my app to help them in the mornings.
CEO: Jordan Idehen ’18
Team: Zach Cataldo ’19, Sam Scher ’18, Ben Lehv ’18, Calli Bilchik ’18
Company: Change4Change
Give us the elevator pitch.
Change4Change is an app that allows users to donate their spare change from credit card purchases to specific causes. The app focuses on donating to small charities that make a big change and also allows users to monitor their progress over time. Finally, users can earn rewards over time for consistently donating.
What inspired your idea?
I was originally inspired to create a charitable product after Bill Shore and Rosemary Jordano Shore came to speak to my entrepreneurship class about their businesses and work in charity. I also knew that I wanted to design a product that utilized technology. One day when I was buying something, I noticed they had a donation jar, and I thought about how I would have donated my change if I hadn’t been using a credit card. That’s when I had the idea to solve the issue with a mobile app for donating.
Who is your target audience?
Our target audience is anyone who owns a credit card since that is the only requirement to use the app. However, the main audience that would use the app would be people who want to donate to charity and would prefer to do it in small amounts over time rather than one big donation.
What are the most pressing challenges you think you and your team will need to tackle?
The most pressing challenge we would need to tackle is making sure people see the benefits of using our app rather than donating money on their own.
What strengths does your team bring to the table?
The strengths my team brings to the table are an enthusiastic mindset, great collaboration skills, marketing backgrounds, charity and volunteer experience, and a passion for helping others.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself pursuing a passion for science, technology, and medicine.
If your company is around in 10 years, what would it look like?
If my company is around in 10 years it will be on every phone and hopefully, raise substantial amounts of money for small charities around the world.