UK Team Among 13 SEC Squads Set to Pitch Product Ideas at Florida

University of Florida
University of Florida

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 10, 2017)  The University of Kentucky and the other member institutions of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) certainly have placed an enhanced emphasis on creating environments that promote an entrepreneurial spirit in recent years. The SEC Student Pitch Competition builds on those kinds of efforts by giving undergraduate and graduate students from SEC universities a platform to present and develop their innovative product ideas.

The 2017 competition is set for Monday, Nov. 13, at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Students from UK and 12 other schools will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges comprised of established individuals in the business sector, including SEC alumni. The panel will select three finalist teams that will then present their product to a separate set of judges, and awards will be given for first, second and third place finishes.

UK students Chandni Joshi, a doctoral candidate in chemical Engineering, and Landon Mott, a graduate student in chemical engineering, will be presenting their company’s commercialization efforts focused on an alternative to traditional methods of controlling harmful insects. This technology was initially developed in the lab of UK College of Engineering faculty member Jeffery Seay. Currently, the existing $3 billion insecticide market does not meet the demand for all-natural, non-synthetic pesticides. The Sustainable Products Company addresses this need by producing all-natural WiseEarth™ Pest Repellent and WiseEarth™ Soil Additive.

The Gatton College for Business and Economics' Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) has been working extensively with these students to develop their business model and pitch through the VACE Bootcamp, as well as, sponsoring the team’s participation in the SEC Student Pitch Competition.   

Along with University of Florida organizers, the SEC Student Pitch Competition is facilitated by SECU, the academic initiative of the SEC, which serves as the primary mechanism through which the collaborative academic endeavors and achievements of SEC universities are supported and advanced.