Nicky Boyette – Twenty-five aspiring entrepreneurs pitched a panoply of startup possibilities at the auditorium May 24 in hopes of winning one of two $1000 prizes at the first G60 event in Eureka Springs. Each speaker had one minute to pitch ideas, and at the end the audience of 180-200 people voted Raymond Ulibarri as the People’s Choice winner for his Creative Entertainment in Eureka Springs. The panel of judges chose Christi Brown for her cardiac workout product called FlexEhoop.
Jeff Amerine, founder and owner of Startup Junkie, an entrepreneurial consulting firm in Fayetteville, served as emcee, and said the goal of the G60 was community-building and community engagement – where “good things happen.” Each speaker’s 60 seconds could not include notes or slides, though some used props. Amerine said winners were decided by the quality of the business concept or idea.
“Fostering entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the region,” Amerine said. He remarked new ventures and small businesses create jobs, increase local tax revenue and improve the standard of living and quality of life.
Judges for the event were Elizabeth Kelley, president of Community First Bank; Tammy Thurow, president of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce; Diane McClelland, senior vice-president and chief operating officer of Cornerstone Bank; and Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry.
The first pitch was for sophisticated financial software followed by an app that notifies authorities in an emergency. Eventual winner Christi Brown was third as she casually demonstrated her FlexEhoop, an easily portable cardio workout device she swirled like a hula hoop.
Then came pitches for locally bottled water, homemade hot sauce, and software for tracking price increases. One speaker promoted an app that matches seniors with caregivers. Another had a device which measures how much chickenfeed remains in a bin. There were high tech sports and exercise devices such as “the world’s first exercise smart machine.”
There were pitches for a “nanoliposome encapsulated healthy product” as well as for a device designed to treat depression. One presenter sells honey from Patagonian beekeepers and another wanted to provide free clothing for military families across the country. There was an app for reducing the time patients wait at doctors’ offices and it even reschedules. Another person had a plan for publishing books by minorities and donating some of the proceeds to programs for kids. Another plugged his app that “connects you with things wherever you go.”
Another presenter was a grantwriter, and another, a marketer, claiming, “I make business beautiful.”
Raymond Ulibarri gave a theatrical, engaging pitch for Creative Entertainment in Eureka Springs, and evoked a hearty response from the audience. He also won their votes.
The four final projects included Profound Journeys – “a synergistic fusion of outdoor exploration;” a late-night television project; a comprehensive program for building confidence and skills of young photographers and aspiring models; and, finally, a marketplace called Greenhouse Sustainable focused on lowering the cost of sustainable goods.
Sandy Martin, chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development, commented, “G60 is a great way to test and start an innovative business concept – and get paid $1000! I was really happy about the response, the turnout and results. StartUp Junkie, our sponsors and our audience encouraged me to plan another one. It might become an annual event.”