Do they have the next big idea?

Student Entrepreneurs Vie for Funds in The Hatch

By: Angie Amburgey

Hatch Nine ideas. Four investors. Are these the next big ideas in business? Find out at The Hatch on April 10. Like the TV show Shark Tank, BGSU student entrepreneurs will present their ideas to a panel of investors, including several BGSU alumni, who will decide if they want to help fund the business. The audience will hear the pitches and find out who receives the funds to make their business idea a reality during this live and interactive event.

These student entrepreneurs are receiving valuable guidance from 11 successful BGSU alumni who are serving as mentors. These committed volunteers are working closely with the students in a nine-week program to plan and polish their business presentations.

"By connecting our students with alumni we are incubating business ideas that will grow into student-run enterprises in the future," said Kirk D. Kern, director of the Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at BGSU.

Meet the Student Entrepreneurs

Of the 80 proposals submitted, only nine students were selected. These students bring ideas ranging from food trucks to educational rap labels. Read on to find out more about these young entrepreneurs.

Alex Boroudi, sophomore, College of Business
Business Idea: Mediterranean and Greek Food Truck "Taste of Lebanon"

Alex's idea for a Mediterranean food truck on BGSU's campus stems from his family's own Mediterranean restaurant. His goals for the food truck are simple; he hopes to create a successful restaurant that Bowling Green residents will love. He wants this food truck to become a landmark in BG, a place where everyone who comes to town will want to eat.

Ashley Bonner, senior, College of Musical Arts
Business Idea: Online Database for College Musicians "musicianexpress.com"

Ashley's idea of an online musician database came from her love of music and is intended to give college musicians an opportunity to make their talents known as well as create an easy way for others to find out more information about these musicians.

Hunter Bihn, Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program, senior at Perrysburg High School
Business Idea: Needle for Diabetics "DiBi"

Hunter's business idea comes from his life as a diabetic and the daily issues that diabetics face with safe, on-the-go needle disposal. His product is a personal "sharps" container for insulin pen needles. Hunter anticipates this product will both improve the lives of diabetics and the safety of those around them by providing a cheap, portable alternative to current pen needle containment methods.

Kourtney Greco, freshman, College of Business
Business Idea: Children's Write a Book "Q's Childrens' Tales"

Kourtney hopes to become a successful author and her idea of a rewritable children's bedtime story is a way for children to foster their own creativity into bedtime stories they can share with family and friends.

Kyle Dickman, junior, College of Business
Business Idea: Watersports Complex "Bros. Boards Cable Park"

Kyle's idea of a cable park in Charlotte, North Carolina, would allow watersport enthusiasts to enjoy their activities without the need of a boat, which is often the most expensive part. Kyle's goal is to make the cable park an attraction for wakeboard enthusiasts all over the world.

Scott Hodges, senior, College of Education and Human Development
Business Idea: Taco Food Truck "Bueno"

Being from California, Scott's idea of a taco food truck was inspired by the movement of food trucks sweeping through western coastal states. Being exposed to all kinds of foods through mobile vendors, combined with his love for cooking, is what motivated Scott to want to create a food truck of his own.

Corey Jones, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences
Business Idea: Educational Rap Label "Wiseword"

Through Corey's idea of an educational rap label, he hopes to infuse hip-hop music with education to have a positive impact on children's learning. Eventually, he would like to see his business idea go to Disney as a cartoon series.

Krysten Jablonowski, junior, College of Arts & Sciences
Business Idea: Dorm Furniture Retail Store "Campus Cribs"

Krysten's idea of a dorm room furniture company came to her as she and a friend were thinking about the hassle of moving their furniture into their residence hall. Krysten's dorm room furniture company would sell the furniture and move it into a student's dorm room.

Taylor Frazer, sophomore, College of Business
Business Idea: Vanishing Highlighter "Hide Lighter"

As someone who often rents his textbooks, Taylor wished he could temporarily mark in his books and have the highlights disappear before he returned them. This is when he thought of the idea for a temporary highlighter that could. Taylor would eventually like to see his idea go into production and be sold nationwide.

The Mentors

The Hatch mentors include: Jack Horney, Ed White, Nicole Harris, Nathan Pulver, Art Curtis, Sandy Harsanyi-Murphy, John F. Meier, Paul Hooker, Bob Venzel, Albert J. Caperna and Craig Dixon.

The Investors

The "angel investors" include: Jeff Goldshine, Larry Davenport, Rodney Heiligmann and Brian Sokol.

The Hatch is free and open to the public, however an RSVP is required. You can also watch The Hatch streamed live from the BGSU College of Business website.

The Hatch is part of Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week), April 8 - 12 at BGSU. Join us to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit with educational events, such as the Sebo Series in Entrepreneurship, "Social Economics: Adding Value to Business with Social Media," on April 12. See the full schedule of events. E-Week is presented by the Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the College of Business.