Updated: August 24, 2010
Saving the environment – one filtered water bottle at a time
From "Business 101" project to prestigious business plan competition winner to actual business, Team Inspire demonstrates students' drive to succeed.
They’re not scheduled to graduate from Bryant until 2012, but six tenacious sophomores have already accomplished more in the business world than many seasoned veterans.
Their success story begins with an innovative “Business 101” course they took as first-year students. Morgan Morris (Sandwich, MA) and her team were brainstorming ideas for a business plan project and came up with PURO, a portable and customizable individual water filtration system they could market to colleges and companies that wanted to promote a “Go Green” image. The team felt that the concept related to their lives, would help people save money, and was friendly to the environment. Morris gave a presentation of the plan to her peers (a course requirement), and PURO was a hit.
In fall 2009, team PURO entered a prestigious business plan competition and was selected as one of three finalists from a group of 30 submitted presentations that described business ideas with market analysis, opportunities, and competitive advantages. PURO bested two groups of MBA students, which Bryant management instructor and team mentor Dave Greenan likened to David slaying Goliath. Bryant took home a grand prize of $27,500 in seed money to launch their business – as well as a boatload of confidence.
Front row (L-R) (Kayla Manzi ’12 (Agawam, MA) and Lauren Sheridan ’12 (Bethpage, NY). Back row (L-R) Jenna Zinno ’12 (Johnston, RI), Emily Charpentier ’12 (Walpole, MA), Paul Dornfeld ’12 (Newton, MA), and Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA).
During the spring semester team members changed the company name to Inspire Green. They have incorporated, filed the necessary tax and organization forms, and had numerous meetings with their attorney, accountant, and webmaster. They identified a company that makes a filtered water bottle. Over winter break, Morris was asked by “Planet Forward” to submit a video, and, shortly after, the National Environmental Education Foundation approached the students to discuss future sales. (Learn more about Inspire Green.)
It’s been said that entrepreneurs never sleep. Between academics, sports, and other activities – as well as their fledgling business – CEO Morris, COO Paul Dornfeld (Newton, MA), CFO Emily Charpentier (Walpole, MA), HR Director Lauren Sheridan (Bethpage, NY), PR Director Jenna Zinno (Johnston, RI), and Marketing Director Kayla Manzi (Agawam, MA), may not be catching a lot of zzzs these days. Instead, they are dreaming big.
“Don’t sit on a good idea – if you believe you have something special, be active,” says Dornfeld, who came up with the idea of marketing a filtered water bottle. “Our professors have been so supportive in believing in us, our idea, and the potential it has.”
Adds Morris, “We have a great company, and I know it will be successful.”
Updated: October 19, 2009
The sky’s the limit
A group of Bryant students will launch a “Business 101” idea with $30,000 in seed money they earned in winning a prestigious business plan competition.
It was a moment that might rattle even the most-seasoned veterans. When Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA) was making her presentation as part of the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition on Friday, the power went out.
But she wasn’t affected, says Management Lecturer Dave Greenan, who taught Morris in “Business 101. She relied on the experience she gained taking Bryant’s innovative “Business 101” course last year as a first-year student, which includes making presentations in front of your peers.
Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA) presents at the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition sponsored by Babson College.
“As the true professional she is, Morgan did not skip a beat in her presentation,” says Greenan. “She made a joke and kept on going.”
This poise and professionalism – not to mention a well-written business plan, helped Morris and her team, PURO, take top honors at the prestigious business plan competition sponsored by Babson College. Presenting for her team, Morris bested two teams from Babson made up of MBA candidates to earn the top prize of $30,000 in seed money to launch the business.
“My first reaction was, is this real?” says Morris. “But as I was walking to the stage, I realized that PURO has dedicated the time and energy we needed to win. We have a great company and I know it will be successful.”
Commitment to success
Greenan concedes that, on the surface, a team of first-semester sophomores defeating a group of MBA candidates might seem like a David vs. Goliath story. But he was not surprised by the result.
(L-R) Team PURO members Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA), Lauren Sheridan ’12 (Bethpage, NY), Kayla Manzi ’12 (Agawam, MA), and Paul Dornfeld ’12 (Newton, MA).
“From the beginning, every member of team PURO displayed a total commitment and expended all of their energies to do the very best they could to make this goal a reality, says Greenan. “All it took for David was a ‘solid plan’ and a well-executed ‘rock.’ Well, Morgan and the PURO team had both!”
Morris and her team won’t take much time to relish the taste of victory. The team plans to begin meeting with stakeholders soon. “We hope to get PURO off the ground and up and running very soon,” says Morris.
Updated: October 18, 2009
Bryant team wins prestigious business plan competition, takes home $30,000 in prize money
A group of Bryant sophomores defeated MBA candidates from Babson College to win the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition.
Proving they are wise beyond their years, a group of Bryant students captured first place in the prestigious Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition sponsored by Babson College on Friday afternoon
The team of sophomores defeated two groups – made up of MBA candidates from Babson – to capture top honors and take home the grand prize of $30,000 in seed money to help launch their business.
(L-R) Team PURO members Paul Dornfeld ’12 (Newton, MA), Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA), Lauren Sheridan ’12 (Bethpage, NY), Kayla Manzi ’12 (Agawam, MA), and Management Lecturer Dave Greenan.
Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA) presented a business plan for PURO, a portable and customizable individual water filtration system. In addition to Morris the team includes Emily Charpentier ’12 (Walpole, MA), Paul Dornfeld ’12 (Newton, MA), Kayla Manzi ’12 (Agawam, MA), Lauren Sheridan ’12 (Bethpage, NY), and Jenna Zinno ’12 (Johnston, RI).
They first developed the idea for the “Business 101” class they took last year as first year students with Management Lecturer Dave Greenan.
Check back on Monday to read the excited reactions of Morris and Greenan to winning the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition
October 16, 2009
Bryant sophomores competing for $30,000 in seed money to launch their business
Later today, a team of Bryant students will challenge MBA candidates from Babson College in the final round of the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition.
About a year ago, Morgan Morris ’12 (Sandwich, MA) and her team in “Business 101” were brainstorming ideas for their business plan project. They wanted to come up with a concept that related to their lives, helped people save money, and was friendly to the environment all at the same time.
That’s when PURO, a portable and customizable individual water filtration system, was born.
In only a year, the enterprising group has brought the fledgling idea to the cusp of winning a prestigious business plan competition that would net them $20,000 in seed money.
This afternoon, Bryant will compete in the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition sponsored by Babson College. The appearance marks Bryant’s first appearance in the contest that is part of the 8th Annual Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship. Presenting for her group, Morris will be facing off against two teams from Babson, one made up of fast-track MBA candidates and another led by a 2009 MBA graduate.
Each team will have six minutes to make a presentation before fielding questions from a panel of executives, accountants, lawyers, and professors.
“Countless hours were put into creating our business plan,” says Morris. “All of our hard work paid off as we received a grade we were proud of, and we have a chance to actually start our business.”
In addition to Morris, PURO team members include: Emily Charpentier ’12 (Walpole, MA), Paul Dornfeld ’12 (Newton, MA), Kayla Manzi ’12 (Agawam, MA), Lauren Sheridan ’12 (Bethpage, NY), and Jenna Zinno ’12 (Johnston, RI).
‘Just do it’
Dornfeld, who came up with the original idea of a filtered water bottle, says the project taught him to follow the Nike slogan: Just Do It. “Don’t sit on a good idea,” he says. “If you believe you have something special, be active. Our professors have been so supportive in believing in us, our idea, and the potential it has.”
The opportunity to create plans for an actual company allowed the team to delve into the intricacies of building a business, says Charpentier. “This project taught us how to build a business from the ground up and really brought out the entrepreneur in all of us,” she says. “It was fun to take a creative idea and run with it.”
The team is realizing success because – from the beginning – they had set their sights higher than earning a good grade. “We are still working hard at team meetings a year later,” says Sheridan. “We could have been satisfied by just completing the plan, but our commitment will lead us to carry this out until we reach success.”
“Every single member of our team is very excited about our product,” adds Manzi. “This made working on the project very enjoyable.”
Ultimately, Zinno says, the experience simulates what she and her teammates will encounter in the real world. “A project like this teaches us how to work together to accomplish a goal,” she says. “Creating a business is a lot of work, but it is clear that hard work truly pays off.”
Passionate pursuit
The success of the team isn’t a surprise to their “Business 101” professor, Management Lecturer Dave Greenan, who encouraged them to enter their business plan in the Babson competition. The plan was selected among 30 to advance to the final round based on their market analysis, opportunities, and competitive advantages.
“We ask all of our students to treat the business plan assignment as a real project with the goal of launching the idea during their time at Bryant or shortly thereafter,” says Greenan.
The PURO team isn’t the first group to use Business 101, a class required for all first-year students, as a springboard to launch a business idea. Eddie’s Energy Bars, an idea developed by Mike Adams ’10 (Richmond, VT) was recently named one of “100 Brilliant Companies” by Entrepreneur magazine. Several years ago, Joe D’Ambrose ’08 partnered with several classmates to create Expedient Laundry, a door-to-door professional laundry service for Bryant students.
“These out-of-classroom experiences are what college is all about,” says Morris. “With visions of starting PURO, I know all the concepts we learned will be useful in the future.”
One of the best pieces of advice that Morris has received came from Cary Collins, trustee professor of entrepreneurship and coordinator of Bryant’s entrepreneurship program. He told her not to be afraid to fail.
“My favorite part of the whole project was sharing the excitement with my teammates,” says Morris. “Our group is full of passionate people, and our strong desire to see PURO succeed is truly motivating.”
Check back this weekend to see how PURO fares at the Ideas Into Action Business Plan Competition.
