College of Business Administration student entrepreneur, Brian Bowles is competing in the PITCHUP ’15 contest for a chance to win a cash prize for his business.
The PITCHUP ’15 contest is an online voting system that allows voters to decide if an idea is worth becoming a business. Contestants create a pitch presentation using emaze.com and everyone is eligible to vote until April 28. There are two pitch categories: Startups, and NGOs and Small Business.
Bowles, co-founder and CEO of Blackwolf Tactical, LLC., submitted his business under Startups and is competing for a sponsored trip to the DEMO Conference and a $10,000 cash prize.
Blackwolf Tactical is a virtual program that creates real-life scenarios, such as smoke, loud noises or power outages, to prepare police officers for dangerous distractions in the field.
Bowles started Blackwolf Tactical with the help of the College of Business Administration’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (CEBI).
“CEBI has been instrumental in pointing me in the right direction for resources, whether it’s funding or strategic partnerships,” said Bowles.
Blackwolf Tactical was inspired by Bowles’ son who wanted a real-life video game. Bowles took the idea and developed a police training platform. The program allows officers to train in simulated threatening environments where they can track reaction and awareness times.
Bowles is currently working on a prototype to test the programs with the Kent State University Police Department. His goal is to improve the training system using location, direction and proximity of the officers to trigger events and conditions within the room.
A team of four is currently working with Bowles to finalize the prototype to start testing with the KSU Police Department to get increased funding for future launches. He ultimately wants to sell the training system to multiple police departments across the country. The presentations with the highest number of votes will pitch to a judges’ panel on May 19. Competition winners will be announced on May 20.
Voting is open now until April 28th.
To vote for Blackwolf Tactical, visit http://p.anapp.me/CZZ/94/+2959/
For more information about CEBI, visit http://business.kent.edu/cebi.
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Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is one of only 180 colleges or schools of business worldwide to achieve dual accreditation in both business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the global accrediting body providing specialized accreditation at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. The College of Business Administration is home to 4,502 students, the second largest college of business in Ohio. The college boasts a satellite office of Kent State University’s Career Services Center dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Michelle Parrish Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, 330-672-2717, mparris3@Kent.edu
Bri Figley, Marketing Communications Specialist, 330-672-1279, bfigley2@kent.edu