(Sara Reo, Kyla Aki and Sean Kovacs of Canine Kitchen hold their first-place ceremonial check.)
By Staff Reports
(Oahu)– On April 26, 2016, the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) announced the winners of the 2016 UH Business Plan Competition at the Waialae Country Club. Three teams competed for prize packages totaling more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind awards.
As part of the title sponsorship, Hawaiian Electric Industries President and CEO Connie Lau presented the first place prize, and Hawaiian Electric Co. System Operation Vice President Scott Seu served as a finals judge. Other sponsors included XLR8UH, Convergent Law Group and Pineapple Tweed.
The results are:
FIRST PLACE – Prize package includes $10,000 cash and over $12,500 value in legal and marketing services.
Team: Canine Kitchen
Team members: Kyla Aki, Curtis Evans, Sean Kovacs and Sara Reo
Canine Kitchen provides fresh daily meals for dogs using simple, healthy and USDA approved ingredients.
Team leader contact: Sean Kovacs, skovacs@hawaii.edu
SECOND PLACE – Prize package includes $5,000 cash and $8,000 value in legal and marketing services.
Team: Alice’s Fresh
Team members: Alice Caldwell, Isaac Floyd, Reyn Kaupiko, Thijs Peekstok and Alice Sharp
Alice’s Fresh utilizes precision agriculture for local organic produce.
Team leader contact: Thijs Peekstok, thijs@hawaii.edu
THIRD PLACE – Prize package includes $2,500 cash and $3,000 value in legal and marketing services.
Team: My Eyes
Team members: Shiraz Dole and Kathy Oyadomari
My Eyes allows users to give their own directions by compiling pictures, short videos, voice memos, text notes and geotags into a chronological list.
Team leader contact: Shiraz Dole, sdole@hawaii.edu
Founded in 2000, PACE is the home for a set of entrepreneurship programs at UH. The Center’s 20+ programs offer mentorship, training and resources to all UH students and faculty, and are designed to encourage entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines and inspire entrepreneurs to move their ideas from conceptualization to commercialization.
The UH Business Plan Competition is an intense, experiential program that provides mentorship, training and resources to UH students and faculty who seek to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and start a business venture.
(Group photo caption) From left: Omar Sultan, partner, Sultan Ventures; Greg Kim, partner, Convergent Law Group; Piia Aarma, founder, Pineapple Tweed; Sara Reo, Canine Kitchen member and Executive MBA candidate; Kyla Aki, Canine Kitchen member and Executive MBA candidate; Sean Kovacs, Canine Kitchen member and Executive MBA candidate; Connie Lau, President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries; Scott Seu, Vice President of System Operation, Hawaiian Electric Co.; Avelino Halagao, Manager, Corporate and Community Advancement, Hawaiian Electric Industries; and Vance Roley, Dean, Shidler College of Business.