Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Newsletter |
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Brad Niemeier, Azzip Pizza |
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Pizza, Energy Drinks & Dentures: A Winning Combination
Five certificate program students made a big impression on the judges in the undergraduate Black Division of this year's Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition. Brad Niemeier took the $20,000 top prize for Azzip Pizza, a restaurant concept aimed at the rapidly expanding "fast-casual" sector. Andrew Linfoot and Chris MacPherson's team earned second prize-and $10,000-for Kyk Energy, a proprietary flavor-neutral energy powder that can turn any drink into an energy drink (more on this below). David Barron and Monica Harvey's team also made the finals for Dentural, an all-natural adhesive for dentures. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists! |
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2 Minutes + 1 Idea = $1,000
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James Evens |
Got two minutes and a great idea? Participants could walk away from our sixth annual Elevator Pitch Competition with $1,000. Open to certificate program alumni, as well as Purdue undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members and staff, and entrepreneurs from Purdue Research Park companies, the contest gives participants 120 seconds to describe their business venture-highlighting product or service, market, competitive advantage and plans to make the business profitable-with prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000. Join us for this high-energy competition, scheduled for this Friday, April 6 from 2-5 p.m. in Room 121 of Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship. |
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Sophomores "Kyk" Their Business into High Gear
Two certificate program students took home the $10,000 second prize in the 2012 Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition for what they describe as "the first ever energy powder designed from the ground up to be mixed seamlessly into any beverage." Andrew Linfoot and Chris MacPherson's Kyk (pronounced "Kick") Energy is a flavor-neutral powder made from caffeine, amino acids, B vitamins and natural herbs. Available on Amazon.com and at a West Lafayette liquor store, the mixture can be added to any drink. Andrew and Chris met in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Learning Community and spent a year perfecting Kyk's formula by testing mixtures on themselves and others in their residence hall. The pair knew they had a winner when friends and neighbors began coming to them for an extra energy boost during exams. Check out the Kyk Energy website and become a fan on Facebook! |
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Alums Award-Winning App Improves Ag Safety
Just three years after launching his company on a Central Indiana farm, LoadOut Technologies founder and certificate program alum Neil Mylet has been recognized by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for one of the 50 most innovative products of 2011. "Yellow Box" lets users monitor and control processes like feeding livestock, loading grain trucks and operating conveyor belts on their smart phones a safe distance from dust and hazards. Mylet recently spoke with Tech Cocktail about how his experiences and instructors at Purdue sparked his drive to start his own company-and next month, he's headed to India to speak to a thousand business and political leaders about using smart phone apps to enhance quality of life in the developing world. LoadOut Technologies, based at the Purdue Research Park, employs 15 Purdue interns and recent graduates and hopes to release a number of additional apps geared toward farmers this year. |
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Congratulations
Certificate Program Lecturer,
Mike Cassidy, is a nominee for the Purdue Learning Community Advocate Award
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Welcome
Jessie Thayer has joined the Certificate Program Team in January as an administrative assistant after six years in other positions at Purdue.
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Join the Conversation
Keep in touch with certificate program students, alumni, faculty and others by following us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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Invest in the Future
Support student entrepreneurs at Purdue by making a donation to the certificate program today!
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Stay Connected
Get the latest news on competitions, successes and more on the Certificate Program Website
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Director: Nathalie Duval-Couetil - Academic Advisor: Rita Baker
Program Coordinator: Jeanette Greener - Administrative Assistant: Jessie Thayer
Instructors: Stroh Brann, Beth Carroll, Mike Cassidy, Chris McEvoy & Kris Taylor
Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program
1201 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907
entrcert@purdue.edu -- (765) 494-1314
 
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