From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Eight Bowling Green State University student entrepreneurs will present their business ideas to alumni investors during The Hatch on Thursday, April 11 at 6 p.m. in the Stroh Center, vying for funds to launch their businesses in a format similar to the popular television show “Shark Tank.” This event is streamed to Hatch Watch parties across the United States and to several countries throughout the world.
This is the seventh year for the event in which alumni investors make equity investments providing real money for students to launch real businesses. To date, more than $500,000 has been committed to student startups.
This year’s Hatchlings represent several colleges within the University, from freshmen to a graduate student. Their business ideas focus on everything from outdoor sporting, wearable health devices for children, recreation and entertainment innovation, creative storytelling to promote literacy, online apparel that supports women in ministry and a speech app.
Jacob Clark
Decoil – Retractable Duck Decoy Weight
Jacob Clark, of London, Ohio, is a senior in the College of Education and Human Development majoring in tourism, leisure, and event planning with a minor in entrepreneurship through the College of Business.
Clark’s business idea is a retractable decoy weight that can be attached to any duck decoy, ideal for waterfowl hunters who want to shorten their time deploying and retrieving decoys. With this time-saving decoy weight, waterfowl hunters can spend more time in the field and less time untangling and retrieving decoys from the water.
Laura Dworning
Sevas – Diabetes Bracelet for Kids
Laura Dworning, of Leroy, Ohio, is a senior dietetics major with almost five years of experience studying nutrition and dietetics. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in dietetics in May 2019.
Dworning’s business idea is to develop a product exclusively for children with Type 1 diabetes. Her device is a bracelet with an LED screen that will sync via Bluetooth to the child’s “site,” which is usually located on their arm. “Site” is a device that most Type 1 diabetes patients wear, which has a needle inserted into the skin and takes accurate blood sugar readings for seven days before having to be replaced. The site takes accurate blood sugar readings and sends easily understandable signals to the bracelet. The LED screen will show one of three colors – blue for low blood sugar, green for normal range, and red for high. The bracelet will also vibrate to alert the child’s caregiver and/or school nurse when blood sugar is low or high.
Philip Forrest
Split-Pax – a backpacking rig designed for comfort
Philip Forrest, of Cleveland, is a junior specializing in business management with a minor in military science.
Forrest’s business idea is called Split-Pax, a backpacking rig that redistributes pack weight between the front and back of the body. This product is designed to promote proper posture and reduce back pain and fatigue. It also provides easy access to trail-essential items such as water, snacks, electronics and rain gear. Split-Pax will allow for a more comfortable and pleasant hiking experience in the great outdoors, whether for a day hike or a long-distance thru-hike.
Blade Frisch
Spoken – a mobile communication-assistance app
Blade Frisch, of Toledo, Ohio, is a graduate student pursuing a dual master’s in special education and computer science. He earned dual undergraduate degrees in music education and computer science education at BGSU.
Frisch’s project is a mobile communication-assistance app called Spoken. The app helps people with verbal deficiencies communicate effectively through a simple interface and a customizable experience.
Savannah Hinde
Esther & Light – an online community to support young women in ministry
Savannah Hinde, of Maumee, Ohio, is a junior double majoring in political science and an individualized planned program.
This past summer, Hinde started a successful online business selling Christian T-shirts and other apparel. She plans to take this concept and use it to build an online community that supports young women in ministry while selling apparel that is designed through crowdsourcing. She believes that a business plan in which women are listened to has the ability to change the world.
Michael Johnston
Set-N-Swivel – Bedside mobile viewing device
Michael Johnston, of Elida, Ohio, is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences studying biology and computer science.
Johnston’s business idea, Set-N-Swivel, is an electronic device holder suitable for tablets, smartphones and e-readers. Set-N-Swivel adheres to a bedside wall and swings out for easy, comfortable and hands-free device viewing. When users are finished viewing the electronic device, Set-N-Swivel returns flush with the wall and stores the device safely and securely.
Ramsha Rashid
ToyBox
Ramsha Rashid, of Monclova, Ohio, is a senior specializing in management in the College of Business.
Her business idea, ToyBox, is an online website where parents can rent bundles of toys based on their preferences and their kids’ interests. Parents can give their kids the toys they want to play with at any given age per their wish list. This will save money and the space taken up by all the old toys collected over the years.
Aubri Reiniche, sophomore
Custom Kids Stories – Customizing Children’s Stories
Aubri Reiniche, of Pettisville, Ohio, is a sophomore studying Inclusive Early Childhood Education in the College of Education and Human Development.
Her business idea is an e-commerce business that provides children with a fun opportunity to get excited about reading. Children and their parents can go online to Reiniche’s website and complete a form that contains a series of questions relating to a story. What they write on the questionnaire will transform into a story that is customized to that child. No other child will create the exact same story.
