Manchester Young Professionals Network to award cash & in-kind services to business start-up

Manchester, NH – Is a five minute pitch worth $55,000? It could be for one of the eight New Hampshire start-ups making their pitch on May 17th to win the Manchester Young Professionals Network’s NH Start Up Challenge business plan competition. The MYPN NH Start Up Challenge is New Hampshire’s largest business plan competition that has awarded over $100,000 in prize money to Granite State entrepreneurs over the past four years.

“Competition has been fierce as nearly 30 entrepreneurs throughout New Hampshire submitted high-quality business ideas,” said E.J. Powers, co-chair of the MYPN NH Start Up Challenge. “The entries were so strong that we expanded the field to eight semi-finalists who will compete for the grand prize.”

The semi-finalists are:

GroupTrip – a web-application that allows you and your friends to take the planning process out of your inbox and into a rich environment. GroupTrip was founded and developed by Bryan Marble of Manchester, NH. Bryan is an alumnus of RPI and UMass-Lowell and former senior developer at HubSpot, Inc. The experience begins at http://grouptrip.co.

Big Foodie – an intuitive mobile application business that provides users a means to find a dining experience tailored to their defined preferences. Big Foodie is based in Manchester, New Hampshire and was Co-Founded by Michael Thompson and Keza Media. Michael Thompson is a technology sector veteran with over 14 years of sales and marketing experience. Keza Media is a fully integrated digital marketing firm specializing in web, print and interactive design.

Gear Freedom – an outdoor sports equipment rental company designed for users looking to participate in outdoor adventures without the need of purchasing, storing and maintaining bulky sporting gear such as kayaks, bikes, or skis. GearFreedom offers a solution for those looking to participate in sporting activities through an online marketplace where local and regional gear rental shops are centralized, making it easy for a user to Research, Reserve and Rent gear. GearFreedom was founded by Mike Veilleux of Manchester, NH. www.gearfreedom.com.

Ustabilize® – will solve the growing cost of falls in all age groups, especially that of persons greater than the age of 65 by improving “Stability Awareness” through the delivery of an unique iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad application and web portal for use by health and fitness consumer and professional. The intent is to create a network by which consumers and professional can interact with each other to improve the overall healthcare and fitness quotient in the US and eventually progress this offering globally. Ustabilize® was founded by Michael T. Muldoon a practicing physical therapist from Hampton, NH with over 10 years experience in outpatient orthopedics.

ThemeGeeks – ThemeGeeks’ mission is to provide premium Drupal themes (products) optimized for mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers based on the wildly popular Omega theme and powered by the Drupal community. Drupal is open source software maintained and developed by a community of 630,000+ users and developers. ThemeGeeks is led by Jake Strawn and Michelle Lauer of Manchester, NH.

Ohm Universe – was founded to promote wellness, and nurture self-awareness by encouraging people to focus on the healing qualities of deep breathing. The Ohm is a meditation and relaxation aid that invites the user to focus his / her breathing on vibrating patterns in the palm of the hand. The Ohm addresses something that many people have problems with; overcoming sub-conscious, shallow breathing. The Ohm utilizes the sense of touch to stimulate people to focus on their breathing. Ohm Universe was founded by Matthew of Gilmanton Ironworks, NH. www.ohmuniverse.com

MyBridalDream – is a website with proprietary software allowing brides to search vendors on their specific criteria requests. The mission of My Bridal Dream, LLC is to provide a unique tool for brides to form their Bridal Dream Team; and empower vendors with a new affordable marketing opportunity by creating a match making scenario driven by specific search criteria. MyBridalDream was founded by Tia Lori Bergeron & Allison DeCesere of Manchester, NH. Online at http://www.mybridaldream.com and http://youtu.be/b-GW0vnvma0

Trendslide – offers an innovative solution for sales and marketing professionals to see whether their business is trending up, staying flat, or trending down in under 10 seconds. Trendslide is based in Manchester, NH and co-founded by Benjamin Petrin and Jeffrey Vocell. www.trendslide.com

MYPN members and the public are invited to hear a live pitch and meet the semi-finalists on May 17th from 5:30 – 7:30 at the abi Innovation Hub located 33 South Commercial Street in Manchester, NH. Contestants will also submit a completed business plan on the 17th. In the days following, two finalists will be chosen to present their business plan to the challenge judges. Register online at www.mypn.org.

Ultimately, one winner will be chosen to receive a $55,000 cash award and in-kind professional services donated by New Hampshire-area businesses to launch their business. The winner will be revealed live at a reception on June 20th at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

The prize package includes:

Up to $25,000 in cash

Ultimate South by Southwest (SXSW) Experience courtesy of DYN consisting of airfare to Austin, TX, three days and two nights’ accommodations, two-day pass to SXSW Interactive and a VIP pass to the Dyn SXSW Music Meets Tech Party.

$20,000 in advertising support from Business NH Magazine

Seat in the abi Innovation Hub’s Accelerator Program and one-year residence at the abi.

Accounting services from Howe Riley & Howe

Legal services from McLane Law Firm

The 4rd annual MYPN NH Start Up Challenge is a statewide business plan competition designed to encourage entrepreneurship and social innovation. The competition was created in 2008 by MYPN, New Hampshire’s first and largest young professional networking organization with nearly 3,000 members.

Public Service of New Hampshire is the presenting sponsor of the MYPN New Hampshire Start Up Challenge. Other major sponsors include DYN, FairPoint Communications, Centrix Bank, abi Innovation Hub, Business NH Magazine, Howe Riley and Howe, and McLane Law Firm. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For more information and complete rules of the competition, please visit www.mypn.org/nh-start-up-challenge.

About MYPN

MYPN was formed in 2004 to create business opportunities, support community involvement and to foster an overall investment in the future of Manchester. MYPN members gain access to community leaders, equally motivated peers, and develop future skills. The organization helps to improve its members’ professional skills, expand their contact base, and provide the opportunity to promote themselves and their business in a relaxing setting. www.mypn.org.

Comments