Team Race Assured Finished in the Money at Idea State U Finals
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2016) — The University of Kentucky’s student entrepreneur team Race Assured placed fourth at the Idea State U finals competition this past weekend at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington. The team of Julia Fabiani, an undergraduate in equine science and physiology; Stefanie Pagano, a graduate student in biomedical engineering; and Ben Martin, a graduate student in finance and agricultural economics, received $7,500 for their win in the business plan category.
Three additional UK teams that also qualified with wins at regionals competed at finals, which included presenting their business plan or model to a panel of judges, a written proposal, marketing video, display and elevator pitch. The Kentucky Office of Entrepreneurship, part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, oversees Idea State U.
The Race Assured team presented a business plan for a blood test, which can potentially predict injuries in horses well before serious problems occur. The team also won the Georgia Bowl intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition hosted by Georgia Tech.
UK Venture Challenge winner Caitlin Halliwell, a senior in equine business management and merchandising graduate Allison Burke with Serandu Custom Riding Boots, presented their plan for a customized equestrian boot using 3-D scanning.
Ultimate Angler, including pharmaceutical sciences doctoral candidate Jarrod Williams, and MBA candidates Alan Sparkman and Mike Rudy, is a website to better connect professional fishing guides with their potential clients.
Computer engineering sophomores Andrew Dharamsey and Cassady Ritter, who placed second in UK Venture Challenge, presented the Talkables smart pet collar that enables one's pet to communicate with you at strategic places throughout the home.
UK’s student entrepreneur teams are mentored and coached through the UK Venture Challenge annual competition and the Venture Studio Bootcamp. Venture Challenge is part of iNET in the College of Communication and Information. Venture Studio Bootcamp is part of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship and Lexington Office of the Kentucky Innovation Network, in the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu