Chapman University’s California Dreamin’ Investor and Fast Pitch Business Plan Competition draws 25 universities competing for $230,000 in prize money

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.

Fast Pitch Winners
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‐andinstitutions/
leatherby‐center/business‐plan‐competitions/Cali‐dreaming‐business‐plancompetition/
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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