The Turner College’s 2017 Business Plan Competition was, according to Jack Goldfrank, the most impressive of any over the six-year history of the competition. According to Goldfrank, the Turner College’s Executive-in-Residence and a member of the advisory panel for the competition, there were 51 business plan submissions from CSU students, secondary school students from the Muscogee County area, and residents of the greater Columbus community. The competition’s faculty advisor, Kirk Heriot, the Turner College’s Crowley Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship, was pleased to announce that CSU student Michaela Waldeck won first place, and a check for $3,000, for a concept known as Tata Toga. Waldeck’s product concept is a towel featuring a privacy attachment that is designed for nursing mothers. It is highly absorbent, protects clothing from leaks, and also doubles as a burp cloth. Waldeck indicated that her product concept, which is pending a utility patent, went into production in June. She has set up an online store (TataToga.com) and has met with a few local retailers who are interested in offering Tata Toga. “I have had several investors interested in my business, but have not made any official commitments or agreements with them as of yet. I have funded the business on my own so far, and the prize money from the competition will add to my business savings, allowing me the time I need to find the best investor to fit my vision for the Tata Toga,” Waldeck told Turner Business.
Taking second place in the competition, and receiving a cash award of $2,000, were Lou Childs and Katy Mallory, who developed SlumberPod™, a tent-enclosed portable crib designed to assist babies and toddlers in getting a good night’s sleep while on the road or at home. Childs, a marketing consultant with 25 years of experience, and Mallory, a communications professional with 10 years of experience, worked closely with Rivercity Foundry, a high-impact start-up accelerator founded by Frank Braski and Cyndi Price, and located in Columbus, in developing their product. As Heriot pointed out during the awards ceremony, SlumberPod™ has already attracted financial investors. Winning third place, and receiving a check for $1,000, was Marc Baker, a CSU student who is now located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as the owner of Conquest Obstacle Gym. Baker’s project provides amateur and professional obstacle course competitors with a comprehensive site to train for competitions, and members of the general public with a facility to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As Heriot indicated during the award ceremony, Baker’s concept was being supported financially by an SBA loan.
If Waldeck’s recent experience is any indication, the success of the 2017 Business Plan Competition bodes well for the contest’s future. “It was an honor to win first prize in the business plan competition. As a graduating senior in business management, winning the competition was like the ‘cherry on top’ of my last year in college,” Waldeck said. Look for news on the 2018 Business Plan Competition in the next issue of Turner Business.
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