The 90 Second Pitch contest took place on Sept. 26 at the Thorley recital hall. After an hour of consecutive business, product and website pitches, the audience and judges voted for the winners. Here are the winners, plus my own honorable mention.
1st Place: Duo Reposo by Spencer Krankshaw – A self-leveling sleeping pad designed for hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. It’s used for compensating unlevel ground so sleeping is easier.
Spencer says he has already contacted some manufacturers in China that say that they can create the product from his diagrams. “I’ve done a lot of research,” he said. “I think that’s what helped me.” That, plus the grand prize money has secured a lot of success for him in the future, as he’ll be able to afford to move past the prototype stage.
2nd Place: Betchen Seats by Nicholas Betcher – A bleacher seat rental service that would rent seats for a low price, using advertising on the product to cover the cost of the seats.
3rd Place: MacKenzie Dresses by MacKenzie Maness & Christine Esplin – A clothing and decor upcycling service that uses lightly worn or used clothing and decorations, and refashions them using different fabrics and patterns creating a unique and trendy style.
4th Place: Tennis Recruiter by Evgenia Marushko – An athletic recruitment service that helps athletes figure out which University is right for them and tutors people on how to go through the athletic process.
5th Place: Insulated Hammock by John Young – A self-contained hammock and insulation combo that protects people from the cold without having to deal with a separate insulating pad between them and the hammock, which often comes loose and becomes lopsided.
6th Place: Subscriber Bank by Kai Bradford – A subscription management service/app that allows people to keep track of all their various subscription services in one list location, also allowing people to pause certain less necessary subscriptions for as many months as necessary.
Audience Choice: The Heart of A Lion by Payton Wells – A service that provides vicarious adventures for sick children using stuffed animal lions, where people can take a child’s lion with them on an adventure while keeping track using photos and video posted to social media.
Honorable Mention: Klean Kar by Dakota Denver – A shoe cleaner that’s attached to the running board of a vehicle, keeping the interior clean. Its best use is for people who like to go hiking or off-roading, drastically decreasing the amount of times a car will need an interior wash.
There were many more great ideas and there was a commendable effort from everyone who participated. Hopefully they all continue on developing their fantastic ideas into fruition.
Story by
Scott Mikkelson
