Past Winners
John Failing and Jessica Oswald – (BetOnWeightLoss.com)
2007-2008
BetOnWeightLoss.com will take a fresh and innovative approach to combat America’s #1 health problem – obesity. Daily health reports tie obesity to a plethora of diseases and a shortened life span; yet, 2/3 of America is overweight and obesity rates continue to skyrocket. The only effective solution lies in taking a different approach and BetOnWeightLoss.com is here to attack the obesity epidemic from a new angle – motivation. Capitalizing on recent scientific studies that show money is an effective motivator; BetOnWeightLoss.com will financially bind members to their specified weight loss goals. Members will be required to set a target weight and then pony up a cash “security deposit” to motivate them to lose weight. If successful, BetOnWeightLoss.com will return the “security deposit” plus a premium. Additionally, the website will become America’s premier weight-loss site by creating an online, social-networking community and offering the most accurate and comprehensive information about all aspects of losing weight.
Contact: John Failing, 240.818.7528,
failingjohn@yahoo.com
Nick Anthony and Andrew Higgins (ARI) 2007-2008
Advanced Research Instrumentation (ARI) is a firm which develops flexible,
high quality research instruments for use in small research laboratories. ARI
intends to lessen the cost of laboratory construction by designing and
constructing low-cost instrumentation by a combination of engineering
innovations, significant reliance on inexpensive computer-based operation, and
maximizing design flexibility. Disregarding the “turn-key”
ideology of mainstream instrumentation providers, ARI sets the stage for a new
era in customizable firmware infrastructure to better service the changing
needs of laboratories across the globe, starting with West Virginia.
Contact Nick Anthony, 304-280-9381,
nick.anthony@comcast.net
Margie and Will Starcher -(Arachnovation) 2006-2007
ArachnovationT turns art world upside down with its revolutionary Spider EaselT. Unlike traditional artist's easels, the Spider EaselT can hold any shape canvas up to an 8 foot square. Artists no longer have to put creativity on hold to adjust their canvas as the Spider EaselT tilts to any angle within the painting plane and holds up to four 16x20 canvases at once. The Spider EaselT can lay flat for a watercolor painting, or tilt forward for a charcoal drawing. This unique design allows for individuals with limited mobility and wheelchairs to have unlimited artistic freedom. The Spider EaselT is lightweight, portable, and folds to fit into a convenient carrying bag.
Check out their website: www.arachnovation.com/
Will Starcher 304-634-8070 starcher12@marshall.edu
Margie Starcher 304-542-4253 mastarcher@yahoo.com
Derrick McKee - (Navway Records) 2006 - 2007
Navway Records is an independent record label which focuses on discovering, signing, and developing up-and-coming musicians. The label, which is based out of Morgantown, WV, focuses on building a regional following for each artist through touring, publicity, and the release and promotion of original material. Navway Records' goal is to develop each artist on its roster to the point of obtaining a major recording contract, while maintaining strategic rights which will provide residual income.
Derrick McKee, (304) 280-1026, dmckee1@mix.wvu.edu
Chris Yahn, Brandon Yahn - (Y Not Solutions) 2005 - 2006
Business Overview:
Y Not Solutions is an innovative, results-driven creation developed through the
partnership of Brandon and Chris Yahn. Its first product being sent into the
market is an automated bartender system called Electrobar. It involves a touch
screen monitor hooked into an electrical control board which is connected with
pumps, valves and hoses. Using computer programming code, it retrieves the
requested drink from a database, and sends a signal to the control board, which
will pour the desired mixed drink in the correct quantity and keep track of
inventory.
Quote by Brandon Yahn:
"The business plan competition was extremely helpful to us in developing our
business plan. The start-up capital and resources that the Entrepreneurship
Center gave us would be an enormous help to anyone with a fully-developed
business idea. Although Chris and I both currently have jobs working in the
consulting industry, we have been trying to grow our business on a part-time
basis since the competition and have been slowly progressing in the right
direction. We are still looking at a product in its development stages. It
needs more time and money put into it right now to work the bugs out and make
it more expandable in order to be ready for commercial use. Until then, we are
still looking to develop a future relationship to license the product to a
manufacturer to get this out into the marketplace."
Check out their website: http://electrobar.googlepages.com/
Andrew White - (White Guitars) 2004 - 2005
Andrew White was the winner of the WVU Business Plan Competition in 2005. He is a maker of fine handmade guitars. The prize money from the competition was invested in new machinery, specialized tooling, and raw materials. The office space donated by Grand Central Station is the new home of Andrew's studio space where the guitars are made. He has added several new designs to his line of acoustic guitars and is working to patent some of his innovations. Using the skills he learned during the competition, Andrew has also started another business, Steel Drums Unlimited, that imports steel drums from Trinidad and Tobago. Andrew has big plans for White Musical Instruments, LLC including the addition of several new instruments to the current line and continuing to build innovative and unique guitars.
Check out his website: http://whiteguitars.net
Katherine Grisso Harrell
While still in college, Katherine put her creative ingenuity, sense of
design, business acumen, and love of vintage magazines and ephemera to work
when she founded a handbag company with grant money and prizes she received
from West Virginia University's annual Business Plan Competition: $10,000 cash,
free legal, accounting and printing services, and a year of free office space.
K. Lianna Design was born.
With a degree in Textiles, Apparel and Merchandising and a Business minor,
Katherine has grown K. Lianna from a small boutique-handbag company, to an
internationally recognized business specializing in artistic accessories,
garnering recognition in trade publications such as WWD and Show & Tell
magazine.
Katherine launched a line of K. Lianna bags for Little Earth Productions Inc.,
the Pittsburgh-based eco-fashion company before joining the national retailer,
American Eagle Outfitters, where she worked as a merchant. She continues to
grow her handbag line as she expands to oversees production. Her latest
collection will be available late spring of 08.
Check out her website: www.klianna.com.
