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Seattle University's annual Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition (HSBPC) has announced its 12 finalists for this year's event. The competition, which is open to student entrepreneurs, is designed to promote innovation and business acumen among young leaders. Each of the semi finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their startup ideas to a panel of judges, who will assess the feasibility, potential impact, and overall quality of the proposals. Take a closer look at the 12 semi finalists and their exciting ventures that are poised to disrupt their respective industries.
Oakmoss Laboratory Services
3,000 research junior faculty are under immense pressure at U.S. universities each year. They transition from team players into leaders. They must hire and mentor researchers and students and fulfill teaching and service responsibilities with little to no prior experience. In addition, they must establish their own research and secure their own funding in a highly competitive landscape before their startup money runs out. Setting up their laboratory is one of the first crucial steps in their career transition, yet it can take up to 6 months. Oakmoss Laboratory Services supports junior faculty in this critical time by setting up their laboratories for them. Oakmoss Laboratory Services provides a multi-tiered laboratory setup service, customized to their research and budget needs. With more than 10 years of relevant experience in research, project and laboratory operations management, Oakmoss Laboratory Services can setup a laboratory in 6 weeks, giving junior faculty not only a running start but 100s of hours back to focus on research and securement of funding.
FaceMarket
Our team, “FaceMarket” provides a platform for the ethical trading of faces, voices, and personal characteristics. Currently, the cost of the actor for advertisements is increasing, making it costly for companies to promote their products with the appearance that best matches their brand image. Taking the advantage of AI-generated media technology, we design talent/character that best fits our customer’s promotion objectives. Combining expertise in talent management, social media promotion, and Synthetic Media technologies, FaceMarket is poised to become the first company to successfully consumerize Synthetic Media in a manner that benefits all stakeholders.
Idli on Wheels
Welcome to Idli on Wheels, the food truck that brings the taste of South India to your doorstep! Our idlis are freshly-made using traditional recipes and high-quality ingredients, ensuring that each bite is a burst of flavor and texture. Idlis are vegan, soy free, gluten free, nut-free delights.
Our menu features a variety of idlis, including classic plain idlis, masala idlis, and even fusion options like fried idlis and podi idlis. We also serve a range of chutneys and sambar to complement the idlis, all made from scratch using the freshest ingredients.
At Idli on Wheels, we take pride in our commitment to quality and authenticity. Our idlis are made using only the best ingredients and are prepared fresh daily, ensuring that you get the most flavorful and healthy meal possible. Plus, eventually our food truck is mobile, so you can find us at various locations and events, making it easier for you to get your dose of delicious idlis whenever and wherever you want.
Experience the taste of South India with Idli on Wheels! Our idlis are a healthy and tasty alternative to fast food, and are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Don't miss out on the authentic flavors of South India – find us at thee trade show and try our idlis today!
SMER
SMER is developing a novel technology to extend transplant organ viability from 24 hours to months to significantly improve organ transplantation accessibility. Currently, we have a fully functioning prototype with exciting proof-of-concept results of human cell suspension and animal tissue. We are requesting more funding support for animal organ study (scheduled Q3 2023) and preliminary human organ evaluation (2024). Please join us to Save More LIVES.
Encocoa
Encocoa™ crafts gourmet chocolate that connects people to a world of flavor and makes it easy to share joy. We’re bringing outside the bar thinking to today’s rapidly growing, premium chocolate market with new dipping, baking, drinking, and snacking chocolate concepts. Fanatics about our craft, we take a decidedly hands-on approach to every melty, crunchy, luscious morsel we make. At our petite factory in Tacoma, WA, we artfully manufacture our chocolate from the bean to achieve high levels of quality, sustainability, and transparency. We believe cacao farmers grow the seeds of joy and should get a larger share of the $21B U.S. chocolate pie. So, we pay above fair trade prices and are on a mission to return value through profit sharing and partnerships. All our products make cacao, not sugar, the star of the show, and feature natural ingredients from sustainable sources. We’re excited to bring enchanting new chocolate experiences to market later this year!
JANE
JANE virtual breast healthcare, a new telehealth startup, recently launched with its entry into the 2023 Seattle University Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition (HSBPC). JANE is a digital platform where women can access convenient and affordable breast healthcare provided by oncology-certified specialists. Services include virtual consultations, genetic counseling, behavioral health counseling, and other supportive care.
“We aim to empower women as they navigate breast cancer, from early detection and treatment through their survivorship journey,” said Heidi Dishneau, ARNP, AOCNP, co-founder and CEO of JANE. “JANE is every woman. She is someone’s mother, sister, grandmother, and best friend. We are committed to providing women with the best care and believe our telehealth platform is a game-changer for women experiencing breast cancer.”
HomeFiltered
We are HomeFiltered, a home services company that filters the pain of preventative maintenance around your home. Most homeowners fail to realize the importance of preventive maintenance on their appliances, carpets, furnace, and ducting throughout their home, which, if not done regularly, can lead to hundreds if not thousands of dollars in costly repairs. For a monthly subscription starting at $14.99, HomeFiltered will maintain the filters in your appliances, batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and regular scheduling for your home preventative maintenance needs.
Our startup will be the next big winner for the BPC as we cater to the unmet need of homeowners who are unaware of their home’s preventative maintenance needs, uncomfortable with performing the maintenance needed, or value their time over the small monthly fee for our services.
SmartDash AI
Smartdash is the easiest to use virtual dashboard for businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts, maximize brand impact, and ultimately increase revenue. With our advanced AI capabilities and partnerships with other AI companies, we provide comprehensive solutions that are tailored to each business's unique needs. Smartdash not only helps you create marketing content that is tailored to your brand and target audience, but it also puts more money in your pocket and frees up time for your personal life. We even provide you with your own personal assistant that will know your brand from top to bottom, allowing for better assistance in meeting your specific business and marketing needs. Invest in Smartdash today and take your business to the next level!
Easy Referral
Our team is comprised of highly skilled individuals with diverse backgrounds in analytics, business, and finance and advisors from the tech industry. Together, we have created a startup, Easy Referral, that offers a unique solution to a common problem faced by all students. Our product is an application platform connecting students and alumni to help students find job opportunities through referrals, which are more effective than job board hires. The platform aims to solve the problem of limited networks and connections for recent graduates by providing a user-friendly platform for students to get referrals and for alumni to refer students for job opportunities. Premium membership is available to the top 5% of students at each university at free of cost based on their GPA and work experience, and successful referrals earn employees a referral bonus from their company. We believe that our startup is going to be the next big winner because we have identified a gap in the market and have developed a one stop shop solution that is both innovative and user-friendly combining the most useful features of existing platforms such as LinkedIn, Handshake and Refermarket.
Campalicious
Campalicious is an all-day summer camp that creates a safe space for school aged children in the east side of greater Seattle. As a parent to a child with neurodiversity I am painfully aware that most regular all-day camps accommodate children with neurodiversity, but children are not necessarily “included”. Campalicious aims to provide working parents and/or caregivers with a safe inclusive space for their children in the summer, and to create a fun place for children of all abilities where they can make new friends and memories.
Defiance Firearms
Defiance Firearms is a company focused on assisting the safe, responsible, and productive advancement of the firearms industry by working with clients to stay compliant with the regulatory environment, build productive relationships with the communities where they’re based, and avoid criminal and civil penalties. The company provides complete consulting and legal services to existing industry members and newcomers wishing to enter the firearms industry. Mission Statement: Create a safer, stronger America by supporting our clients in firearms trade with expert knowledge, fearless advocacy, and community empathy.