ORANGE, CA – The California Dreamin competition, now in its second year at Chapman University, brought together students from top university entrepreneur programs around the country to prove that they have the best business plan. The event, by invitation only, took place April 26 and 27 and featured 25 schools competing for $230,000 in prize money and connections to venture capital firms. There were two competitions including an investor pitch and a 90-second Fast Pitch Competition. Finalists of the investor pitch were excluded from participating in the Fast Pitch, which allowed for 10 schools to walk away with cash.

Investor Pitch Winners

1st Place – University of Houston presented Imalysis—a medical software firm that saves lives by helping consumers analyze and track illnesses online through a patented algorithm. Imalysis focuses on catching illness in the first stage of development by empowering the most important people in the healthcare system: the doctor and the patient. The team consisted of Genevieve Simmons, Scott Black, Kevin Cruz and Roger Seward, with Bill Bobbora as the team advisor. The team received $60,000 ($30,000 cash and $30,000 equity) and $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credits.

2nd Place – Brigham Young University presented Owlet Baby Monitors—Using pulse oximetry, the Owlet Baby Monitor alerts parents if their child stops breathing. Parents can see their child’s heart rate, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns in real time from their iPhone. Parents can share this data with their pediatrician and diagnose heart, oxygen, or sleep conditions the child might have. Team members included Kurt Workman, Jordan Monroe, and Zack Bomsta with Tom Peterson as the team advisor. The team received $50,000 ($25,000 cash, $25,000 equity) and $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credits.

Finalists were: Willamette University, USC, and UC Berkeley who won $30,000 each ($15,000 cash and $15,000 equity) and $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credits.

FastPitchWinners

1st Place – University of Utah presented 3PDx—and offered iTest™, which decentralizes medical testing by allowing users to control an inexpensive medical diagnostic device with a smartphone. iTest provides objective results in minutes, and can be performed anytime, anywhere, and by anyone. It’s a medical lab that fits in your pocket. Team members included Christopher Pagels and Andrew Pagels with Troy D’Ambrosio as the advisor. The team won $5,000 and $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credit.

2nd Place – Loyola Marymount University presented Bosse Tools—a startup company that is changing hardware tools through ergonomics; ultimately creating more efficient shovels, rakes, brooms, & pitchforks. They developed an ergonomically efficient design that utilizes a rotational center called “Handle-It Technology.” Their tools maximize muscle usage and diminish strain – increasing stamina and reducing injury. Team members included Stephen Walden and Adam Kavoukjian with Fred Kiesner as the advisor. The team won $4,000 and $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credit.

Finalists were: UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, and UCLA who won $2,000 each plus $1,000 of Amazon Web Services Credit.

All other teams received $500 in Amazon Web Services Credits for participating.

“The mission of the California Dreamin’ Competition strives to simulate the real‐world process of starting a business and seeking start‐up funding, while also providing constructive feedback to all competing teams to better help them achieve their goals,” stated Richard Sudek, Ph.D., director of the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics. “This competition truly was the best of the best!”

New features to this year’s competition included: pre-competition webinars with investors and judges, a Fast Pitch Competition, feedback with investors, an awards reception on Saturday evening and more opportunities to win.

Chapman University in 2011 launched the Entrepreneur Student University Network (E.S.U.N.), a consortium of schools with the purpose of cross‐connecting entrepreneurial students. While E.S.U.N. consists of 29 universities, 25 competed in California Dreamin’. Universities included in the E.S.U.N. include:

Arizona State University

Baylor University

Brigham Young University

CalTech

Chapman University

Claremont McKenna

Colorado University

CSU Fullerton

CSU San Bernardino

Loyola Marymount University

Oklahoma State University \

Pepperdine University

Stanford University

Texas Christian University

UC Berkeley

UC Irvine

UC Los Angeles

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

University of Arizona

University of Hawaii

University of Houston

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

USC

University of Texas

University of Utah

University of Washington

Willamette University

Main Sponsors include: Microsemi, Ghost Management, Kay Family Foundation, Ora Zoe Villalobos, and Amazon Web Services.

More information can be found at:  http://www.chapman.edu/research‐and‐ institutions/leatherby‐center/business‐plan‐competitions/Cali‐dreaming‐business‐plan‐ competition/index.aspx

About the Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Ethics

 

 

Established in 1995, Chapman University’s Leatherby Center offers one of the nation’s most respected programs for entrepreneurial young men and women. The center aims to prepare and inspire principled, dynamic entrepreneurs whose ideas improve lives and

 

solve important problems.  Through innovative courses and real‐world leadership, the

 

center provides students with access to a range of resources, including professional mentoring, entrepreneurial internships, a multi‐university network, community resources, events, speakers, research, professional groups, competitions and boot camps. Ranked as the #13 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program by Business Week, the Leatherby Center is unique in its approach to connecting students with inventors, investors and real‐world entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.chapman.edu/launch

 

 

Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to highly qualified students. Our programs encourage innovation, creativity and collaboration, and focus on developing global citizen‐leaders who are distinctively prepared to improve their community and their world. Visit www.chapman.edu

 

 

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