CEBI Idea Pitch 2020
2020 CEBIdea Pitch Competition
November, 12th
Watch Live Recording
FINALISTS
Grace Kelly
Totelly is a reusable bag that magnetically collapses into a 4"x3"x1" square. Unlike current reusable bags, Totally can fit into any size bag or purse and fits the same amount of groceries as a normal reusable bag.
Micaela Pflug
Rags Related is a premium secondhand online retailer specifically for business professional clothing for women. We take the guesswork and high cost out of dressing your best and allow women to purchase business clothing sustainable and affordable.
Logan Barnes
YourHome is an all-in-one platform that allows future homeowners to create, customize, and build their dreamhome. YourHome will provide a seamless experience that will allow the future homeowner to customize the home of their dreams. From adding all of the features they want, to hiring the right contractor, building a home has never been easier.
Mattney Yates
The Capsule Collective takes loved ones old jeans and turns them into a one-of-a-kind jacket to help remember them for a lifetime. Mail in your loved ones old jeans and we can turn them into a modern statement jacket.
Austin Meade
Architectural Research Makerspace (ARM) is an innovative community that focuses on architecture and design solutions. ARM is targeting small businesses that need quality design and innovation without the budget for high end firms. ARM will work to create a space for local makers to sell their services while provided services to small to medium sized businesses.
Sydney Young
Errands Galore is a website that allows you to hire someone to run errands for you. Just like grocery or food delivery Errands Galore allows you to outsource your pesky errands. From picking up dry cleaning or grabbing birthday balloons and candles because you forgot, simply order a runner and all your errands are done for you.
Heeju NoeWorkmanship is an apparel brand that offers innovative, transformative designs with detachable sleeves, collars, and cuffs. Our motto, "We sell less, but sell better, and still be profitable." communicates to customers as: "We buy less, but wear better, and still be unique and stylish." Together, we pursue a "less, but better" lifestyle.
Jonathan Henry
CommuNITy was created to provide customizable sterilization solutions that are sustainable. Using UV-C irradiation allows us to create sanitation products that require no chemicals to target and kill pathogens
JUDGES
Robert Morocco - CEO and President, CyMedica Orthopedics, Inc
Rob Morocco serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of CyMedica Orthopedics, Inc. He previously served as the CEO, President and Director of OrthoScan, Inc. He also served as the CFO and Executive Vice President of A-Med Systems Inc. and was instrumental in the sale of the embolic protection business to Edwards Lifesciences. He served as CEO and VP of Orthopaedic BioSystems Ltd., Inc. later acquired by Smith & Nephew and Director of Finance and Corporate Controller for Sensory Science Corp., a publicly traded entity. Mr. Morocco began his career at Deloitte and Touche, LLP. He holds a BBA in Accounting from Kent State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Bill Baumel - Managing Director Ohio Innovation Fund
An alumnus of The Ohio State University and University of Michigan, is a seasoned venture capitalist who spent 20+ years working in Silicon Valley before returning to his home state and starting the Ohio Innovation Fund (OIF). At OIF, he works with Ohio-based entrepreneurs to rapidly scale their companies and drive the growth of Ohio's entrepreneurial ecosystem. OIF companies swept both early and late-stage TechOhio Culture Awards in 2018, as well as earned the title of Best Early Stage Company in Ohio for three consecutive years.
Annie Skoch - CEO and Founder of Anne Cate
Anne Skoch ’18 is the owner of Anne Cate, a made-in-America accessories boutique that specializes in skyline silhouette purses and pillows. Skoch was the winner of the 2018 CEBIpitch competition. Since graduating, she has pursued her business full-time and has grown the business from her dorm room to a manufacturing studio with five employees. Anne Cate distributes directly to its customer base and is selling in more than 65 accounts across the country, including the Art Institute of Chicago and Wayfair.com.
Fred Lukachinsky - Vice President, Strategic Planning for FedEx Ground
Fred has 28 years of experience with the company, joining FedEx Ground predecessor RPS, Inc. as an auditor in 1992 and in 2020 transitioning into his current role of Vice President for Strategic Planning. Fred earned his bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University and is a certified public accountant. He is the recipient of numerous company awards, including the prestigious FedEx Five Star Award and the Humanitarian Award. Fred serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of Flight 93 in support of The National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Fred is also an active member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
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.
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
1st place winner has a guaranteed spot in the 2020 CEBIpitch Competition.
Application Process Details
Applications are closed for the 2020 pitch.
Applications will re-open for our next round in August 2021
LEARN MORE
CEBIdea Pitch Infosession
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
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SHAWN ROHLIN, PH.D.
Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation and Associate Professor,
Economics
srohlin@kent.edu