2018 CEBIdea Pitch Competition
October 8th, 2018
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
KIVA
JUDGES
Executive Chairman, Performex
Schneeberger is the Executive Chairman of Performex. Prior to joining Performex, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Panther Premium Logistics. He previously worked for Olympic Steel and OM Group, as well as one of the largest private international producers of commercial explosive products, Austin Powder Company. He has been engaged in several business turnarounds and has been involved in 100+ acquisitions and the sale of 30+ companies, both public and private. Schneeberger graduated from Kent State University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting. He serves as chair of the College of Business Administration’s National Advisory Board.
Joe Artiste
President, ZOOM! Branding Group
Joe Artiste is the former president of Smart Business Network. He brings 25 years of experience in developing businesses, markets and brand strategies to his current role as President of Zoom! Branding Group. Artiste graduated from Kent State University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in hospitality management. He currently serves on the College of Business Administration’s National Advisory Board.
Co-Founder/CEO, Kambria
Co-Founder, OhmniLabs
Thuc Vu is co-founder and CEO of Kambria and co-founder of OhmniLabs. Apart from being an entrepreneur, Vu is also a research scientist and assistant professor at John Von Neumann Institute of Vietnam National University. He is an expert in Artificial Intelligence and algorithms. Vu’s ambition is to bring robots into every home to create a positive impact in people's lives. He previously founded Katango and Tappy which were quickly acquired by Google and Weeby.co, respectively. He also invests in early stage startups and helps grow the ecosystem in Vietnam. Vu earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon.
Managing Director, Ohio Innovation Fund
Bill Baumel is Managing Director of The Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF), a venture capital firm based in Columbus, Ohio. OIF has the largest early-stage venture capital portfolio of Ohio-based companies. Member institutions include Kent State University, The Ohio State University and Ohio University. With more than 20 years of experience investing in Silicon Valley, and close ties with a significant network of key Silicon Valley leaders, Baumel has spent his career investing in venture capital-backed emerging growth companies. His areas of focus include SaaS, Big Data, Cyber Security, Med Tech and Advanced Manufacturing.
President, C&K Industrial Services, Inc.
Arthur Karas, president of C&K Industrial Services, Inc., is a recognized leader in the industrial and environmental service industries. As a senior executive and experienced industry professional, he provides leadership, insight and innovative solutions for his clients in these fields. Karas has spent the majority of his career as the senior executive of his family’s service sector businesses. He began his career in 1978 in the solid waste industry working for SCA Services, a national solid waste company. Two years later, the Karas family launched a waste startup and acquired a modest service company. Karas graduated from Kent State in 1978 with a BBA in accounting. He currently serves on the College of Business Administration’s National Advisory Board.
FINALISTS
A non-medical mental health mood kit that acts as an immediate resource for individuals.
Freedom Tailgates is a luxury coach service that transports customers to and from concerts and sporting events, with all the tailgate amenities to ensure the ultimate experience.
Plate Map is a technology that scans food, analyzes data and informs the user of potential allergens or dietary restrictions.
Swimming Technique Perfectors are a brace-like tools that comfortably restrict motion to aid beginning swimmers in improving their stroke performance.
A mobile app that acts as a virtual closet and dressing room that stores outfits and demonstrates how they will fit based on a users' measurements.
Curly Connections is an innovative, magnetic hair tie that combines magnets with elastic fabric that pulls thick hair into an effortlessly beautiful ponytail.
Brake pads for race cars that create different colors of break dust depending on the level of pad remaining in order to quickly determine hen a replacement is needed.
Wanderlust mobile app empowers users to be their own travel guide by creating an interactive and up-to-date mobile travel book and itinerary builder that helps users fully navigate and capture the entire experience of venturing abroad.
Creating a revolutionary shoe shopping experience where the consumer can feel the comfort of the show while utilizing augmented reality to visualize a wide variety of realistic styles and colors. Once the preferred shoe is selected, the costumer can experience the fit and style of the shoe while engaging in sporting activities throughout the store.
Handmade Hoopla offers an all-inclusive crafting experience with all the tools, materials, craft suggestions, craft leader and clean up provided. For parties or other gathering with six or more participants.
ABOUT THE CEBIDEA PITCH
Pitch Your Idea for Funding
The Kent State College of Business Administration’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation is now offering a fall pitch competition for students who have an idea. The CEBIdea competition creates an opportunity for students to receive mentoring and feedback on their business idea, as well as win seed money. Ten finalists will pitch to a panel of judges on Monday, October 8. All finalists will win a cash prize, and the first-place winner will earn a guaranteed spot as a CEBIpitch finalist in the spring.
For more information, please reach out to Missy Gerbick at mgerbic1@kent.com or call 330-672-7890.
Presenting Sponsor:
Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF) is a venture capital firm based in Columbus, Ohio whose member institutions include Kent State University, The Ohio State University and Ohio University. The OIF team has turned ideas into over $10 billion of market value, including several Initial Public Offerings and acquisitions by SAP, Medtronic, Dell, Intuit and Stryker. OIF's companies have been featured in prominent media outlets such as CNN, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Many Fortune 500 companies and leading universities are customers of OIF’s portfolio, and their strategic partners include Microsoft, Facebook, Citi and SAP, among others. Combined revenue growth was approximately 100 percent between 2016 and 2017 for OIF’s portfolio.
PRIzE MONEY
TOTAL CASH PRIZES
$2,500
1st: $600 2nd: $500 3rd: $400 4th: $300 5th: $200 6th-10th: $100 ea.
1st place winner has a guaranteed spot in the 2019 CEBIpitch Competition.
Application Process Details
Submit idea online: submit your idea
Deadline for online application: 9/13 @ midnight
Semi-finalists notified: 9/14
Semi-finalists present 2-minute pitch: 9/17
10 finalists notified: 9/18
Mentoring process for finalists
Live pitch: 10/8 @ 2p.m.
LEARN MORE
CEBIdea Pitch Infosession
September 5th 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Meet previous CEBIpitch finalists and learn about the new idea pitch competition. Pizza provided.
Business Administration Building A123 (Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation)
About the Ohio Innovation Fund
Bill Baumel oversees all operations of The Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF), a venture capital firm based in Columbus, Ohio. OIF has the largest early-stage venture capital portfolio of Ohio-based companies. Member institutions include Kent State University, The Ohio State University and Ohio University. OIF’s companies have been featured in prominent media such as CNN, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Many of the Fortune 500 and leading universities are customers of OIF’s portfolio companies, and their strategic partners include Microsoft, Facebook, Citi, and SAP, among others. Combined revenue growth was approximately 100% between 2016 and 2017 for OIF’s portfolio.
Turning "Bold Ideas" into thriving enterprises is what OIF partners with entrepreneurs to accomplish. One such bold idea was from a diabetic, who each night worried that they might not wake up in the morning because their glucose levels may go too low overnight, and the only diabetic testing was periodic finger pricks. Out of that bold idea came Dexcom and its continuous glucose monitor, which provides a glucose reading to diabetics' mobile devices every five minutes. A great step forward for diabetics, and a company now worth over $10 billion. This could be you!
OIF fosters commercialization efforts at KSU, OSU, and OU through appointments to university's Accelerator Award Committees, sponsoring internship programs, career linkage among member schools’ students/alumni and OIF companies, speaking engagements, mentoring of faculty members, incubating faculty start-ups, and guest course, panel, and business plan competition participation.
With more than twenty years of experience investing in Silicon Valley, and close ties with a significant network of key Silicon Valley leaders, Bill has spent his career investing in venture capital-backed emerging growth companies. Awarded Venture 100 status as one of the top 100 VC’s in the United States, with successful exits via multiple Initial Public Offerings and acquisitions by companies such as Medtronic, Dell, SAP, Intuit, and Stryker. Areas of focus include SaaS, Big Data, Cyber Security, Med Tech, and Advanced Manufacturing. Having served as a CEO, COO and CFO of successful public and private companies, he understands what it takes to build and scale a leading company in a high growth market.
Contact Us
-
SHAWN ROHLIN, PH.D.
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation and Associate Professor,
Economics
srohlin@kent.edu -
MELISSA GERBICK
CEBIdea Manager,
Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation
mgerbic1@kent.edu | 330-672-7890