Advancing Entrepreneurship
Ohio Wesleyan Builds Founder U Reputation with Second Annual U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition
DELAWARE, Ohio – Software products to help large companies navigate change management and enable people with connective tissue disorders to better track and treat their illnesses earned the top spots Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan University's second annual U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition.
The competition, a live "Shark Tank"-style event, is the largest entrepreneurship contest in Ohio and one of the largest in the nation. The event concluded Ohio Wesleyan's first Kickstart Ohio entrepreneurial conference and featured a fireside chat between OWU President Matt vandenBerg and Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak.
During the chat, Wozniak shared his advice for all of the entrepreneurs competing and attending the event. He said the early years of building their businesses will be among the most difficult but most fun times of their lives. And even if they have an idea that doesn't succeed, "You still have your minds," Wozniak said. "It's not like it's all or nothing in one shot."
vandenBerg said he was excited to see Ohio Wesleyan's reputation as Founder U grow with the university's commitment to advancing entrepreneurship and helping to build the state's economy.
"We are for entrepreneurship," the president said. "We are for founders. … We are here to propel you to your ambitious future."
Four professional teams and four college-student teams presented their business ideas Saturday, taking home a combined $180,000 of invested value. The winners were selected by a four-judge panel comprised of Cole Antle, OWU Class of 2021 and director of finance and property management for the Westwood Collective; Randy Mullen Jr., founder of SightLine Ventures; Jason Veatch, owner of Veatch Consulting; and Anthony Scott, CEO of My Last Farewell.
Professional Division
- First place – Readiness Xchange, represented by Shara Hutchinson. The Columbus-based company earned a $50,000 investment to continue building its execution intelligence platform to help large companies navigate change management. The subscription-based software/artificial intelligence (AI) product combines analytics and real-time insights to provide leaders with "predictive visibility into how ready their people, processes, and partners are for change – before resistance or misalignment slows things down." As Hutchinson told the judges, "Readiness is no longer a 'nice to have.' It is a competitive advantage." Learn more at www.readinessxchange.com.
- Second place – Rubitection, represented by Sanna Gaspard, Ph.D. The Pittsburgh-based healthcare company earned $25,000 to help develop a consumer product that uses AI to "deliver simple, trusted care insights for wound prevention and monitoring, precise dermatology care, and proactive vascular health monitoring." The Rubitect Assessment System consists of "an easy-to-use measurement probe and care management software that provides data needed to personalize care and support prevention in any care environment." Learn more at rubitection.com.
- Third place – Little Tusk, represented by Lauran Woolley and Jordan Woolley of Youngstown, Ohio. They earned $15,000 to help develop their interactive, game-based educational software. Little Tusk teaches financial literacy to children and young adults through tailored learning paths, engaging and interactive content, and rewards for use. "We help little learners invest in big futures," Lauran Woolley said. Learn more at littletusk.com.
- Fourth place – Homework Muffin, represented by Joel Kendall of Columbus, Ohio. His digital/app development idea seeks to help students prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Homework Muffin would let users easily document incorrect answers from sample tests and practice similar questions. "There's a big niche market with a lot of blue ocean opportunity," Kendall said. Learn more at www.homeworkmuffin.com.
College-Student Division
- First place – TissuTrak, represented by Amelia Wares of the University of Cincinnati. Wares earned $50,000 to help develop her healthcare app, created to "empower patients with connective tissue disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis) by streamlining the diagnostic process and enhancing overall health management." The average diagnostic time for such disorders is about five years, said Wares, who already has 500 people on a waitlist for TissuTrak. According to the company, "Our mission is to improve patient outcomes and reduce diagnosis times by enabling users to track symptoms, identify correlations, and connect with others facing similar challenges." Learn more at www.linkedin.com/company/tissutrak.
- Second place – VHSMO, represented by Dhruv Bhilare and Aryan Metka of the University of Cincinnati. They earned $25,000 for their venture, which they describe as "the world's first retro camera with instant wireless image transfer that fits right in your pocket." The camera doesn't require SD cards or cables to transfer images to a smartphone within seconds. They said VHSMO appeals to those who like the feel of holding and using a camera but also want its high-tech twist. They have a waitlist of more than 12,000 people interested in the retro camera. Learn more at www.instagram.com/vhsmo.cam.
- Third place – OPEF.AI, represented by Ohio Wesleyan students Inesh Tickoo and Aarav Singh. They earned $15,000 to continue developing their Open Platform for Environmental Frameworks (OPEF) product, which aims to help agencies and contractors modernize under federal AI mandates. The patent-pending product uses artificial intelligence to help reduce the years-long timetable and high costs of producing federally compliant environmental impact statements. Learn more at opef.ai.
- Fourth place – Delture, represented by young college graduates David Zimmerman, Justin Liu, and Patrick McCollum. Their product seeks to use AI to help fraternities and sororities market their events effectively while teaching users why and how specific marketing strategies are chosen. Over time, they plan to expand the subscription-based Delture software for use by collegiate clubs and organizations.
The U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition is coordinated by the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University (DEC OWU). Opened in 2018, the DEC OWU supports budding businesses by connecting them with Ohio Wesleyan student-interns able to assist with accounting, data analysis, market research, website creation, and other needs. As they work, the students gain hands-on, real-world business experience to help them fulfill their own entrepreneurial ambitions. Learn more at owu.edu/DEC.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.