The University of Central Florida College of Business Administration, in conjunction with the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL), hosted its annual Joust Business Plan Competition finals showcasing students and their innovations and business models. The format for the event is much like the television show, Shark Tank, involving presentations in front of a panel that decides how the teams rank and receive rewards.
Team Entourage Red LLC won first place at the Joust. Students Taylor Cheeley and Nicole Enterlein were the winners of the event and were congratulated by their peers for the ingenious branding of the SMARTWAY Sanitary Cup, which is a disposable urine funnel for women. The SMARTWAY Sanitary Cup enables women to stand and urinate while facing the commode, reducing chances of contracting diseases by eliminating unnecessary contact with contaminated surfaces. The product is inexpensive, mess-free and hygienic.
“I talk constantly about the need for students to get out of their comfort zones, accept the possibility of failure, and use data to drive their decision-making, said Paul Jarley, Ph.D., dean of the college. “Taylor and Nicole took everyone way outside their comfort zones. They learned from their past experience and used data along with a crisp presentation to allay fears, overcome social norms and pitch a potentially disruptive product that no one had given a chance at the beginning of the day.”
“Winning the Joust validates that SMARTWAY Cup is a revolutionary product with serious market potential,” commented Taylor Cheeley. “We’re honored to receive the prestigious recognition, and poised pursue national contracts. We believe the Joust has refined our business model and changed our lives.”
The Joust Business Plan Competition is an annual event that the College of Business Administration hosts on campus. Students get together and form teams that will then present to the judges a strategic business plan along with a business proposition and pitch. For more information on the competition, visit the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership’s website.