Being an entrepreneur is hard. Between developing a product or service, testing it and making sure it reaches the right market, an entrepreneur’s work is never done.
Four Western Michigan University entrepreneurs are putting in the hard work and had the opportunity to learn, network and show off their products all in one place at E-Fest, a business pitch competition for undergraduate students from around the United States.
“This opportunity was a great learning experience for the student entrepreneurs,” says Lara Hobson, director of operations for Starting Gate, WMU’s student business accelerator. “They were able to network with other students and advisors and learned valuable business tools in the workshops that were offered.”
Brandon Chidester, Cody Middleton and Nick Theoret of Jacket 360 and Daniel Floyd of SpeechMasterPro, were among the 161 teams selected to attend the event.
Jacket360
Jacket360 makes wearable blind spot detection systems that help cyclists be more aware of their surroundings. Middleton had experience in the automotive industry and realized that while many modern vehicles are equipped with blind spot detection systems, there was not anything on the market that provided the same safety feature to cyclists or motorcyclists.
SpeechMasterPro
SpeechMasterPro is a device used to improve enunciation, slow down speaking pace and build confident speech. The device is made out of FDA-grade silicone and is designed to fit comfortably and safely in the mouth.
The experience
The E-Fest experience started as soon as the entrepreneurs began the application progress.
“The application process was challenging and rewarding,” says Middleton. “We had to work quickly within the requirements to create a quality pitch video that covered all of the elements of our business.”
The teams worked with a videographer to capture their team’s pitches and then came the hard part for Hobson.
“We recorded videos for five startups,” says Hobson. “I then had to narrow the field to our top three, and we were excited to find out that two of those three teams were selected.”
Once at E-Fest, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to network, attend workshops, participate in mini-competitions and compete in the major competition with a chance to win more than $200,000 in prize money.
“E-Fest was a great experience,” says Floyd. “Sharing stories and experiences of both accomplishments and failures was refreshing.”
Entrepreneurs also had the opportunity to hear from and meet with investors and business owners such as Richard Schulze, the founder of Best Buy, and Daymond John from Shark Tank.
“What I learned from Shark Tank’s Daymond John is how to really define success,” says Chidester. “Success is being able to do what you want every day and love what you do. This definition of success really stuck with me.”
Although the WMU entrepreneurs didn’t bring home a prize, the experience pitching, creating and meeting other entrepreneurs was a fulfilling experience, and a reward in itself.
“Our entrepreneurs did an excellent job pitching and received valuable feedback from the judges,” says Hobson. “They’re already taking what they learned at E-Fest and applying it to their businesses. WMU will continue to support student entrepreneurs by preparing them for these opportunities and helping them get the exposure and experiences their businesses need to grow and be successful.”