Twenty-one INCubator student teams pitched their Minimum Viable Product ideas to a panel of judges consisting of Kristin Spindler, Gene Arant, Biff Farrell, Kristen Huguley, Kai Lamb and Shane Stevens on Thursday. The judges gave groups initial funding based on presentations in order to fund the student’s startups.

“Our pitch went pretty well, the judges were a lot more helpful than we were expecting,” senior George Young said. “When you finally find a problem that you can solve that fits your skill set, that’s a pretty great feeling and it gives you a nice goal to work towards.”

INCubator is a business oriented class where students are placed in groups that spend the entire school year working on a startup idea.

“It’s unlike any other class,” INCubator teacher Erin Mathis said. “We’re trying to make the class feel like a family while letting the students take ownership of a businesses at the same time. In the groups we set them up in, we make sure that all of the students work to the same common goal, it’s a lot of counseling for us. I feel like a parent and a teacher at the same time.”

With INCubator being in its inaugural year, both teachers and students are offered a different learning experience. Students get the chance to collaborate with their classmates and spend their time pitching ideas for a potential business.

“Being able to be in a group that works together on a year long project to start a business is really cool,” senior Michael Meador said. “The overall idea of the class is my favorite part.”

Students spent the majority of the first semester coming up with and fine-tuning an idea for a new startup company. INCubator supplied the students with mentorships on their journeys to finalizing their business models. However, students were encouraged to run the business on their own.

“We had to pivot a few times from our original idea,” junior Nolan Mylet said. “It was a struggle at times to find the right idea and making sure it works in the long run. We’ve had a couple of bumps in the road but our idea has definitely improved.”

Young helped pitch the business Create Crate, a monthly subscription service that delivers boxes with activities meant to engage children’s learning abilities and creativity skills.

“We thought the judges were just going to criticize our idea,” Young said. “But they pointed out how we can partner with certain businesses to help us out.”

Mathis said it has been an interesting process to watch the students take ownership of their pitch ideas and make it a reality over the course of the year.

“Honestly, I come to school everyday and I’m so excited that I teach this class,” Mathis said. “Seeing what [students] are doing today versus the beginning of the year and watching the entire process makes me feel like their parent. Just watching them mature and being able to think about the ideas they never would have thought of before is so cool.”

List of INCubator groups:

No Limit Theme Apparel
Ashley Novit, Lauren Branard, Jordan Freeman
No Limit Theme Apparel is a one stop shop for all of your theme wear needs. We offer trendy and affordable theme clothes and accessories perfect for any theme day or party. We make being the life of the party easy.

Shoulder
Kylie Keck, Spencer Stearns, Kyle Heath, Nico Gabbi
Shoulder is an app where you can quickly exchange insurance information after an accident. Shoulder simplifies the accident process by making it less awkward and relieves the stress.

Riff Swap
Bella Coto, Nich Huft, Mick Smith
Riff swap is a LinkedIn like website made exclusively for musicians. It’s a website that allows communication between musicians, studios, venues, and more. Our goal is to build a virtual music scene in which venues can get shows booked, musicians can form bands, and connections are built for everyone in between.

Blast
Ciaran McGowan, Saige Prucha, Sonya McCann, Jared Faulkner
Our product Blast is the new and unique heating vent for technologically smart houses that have been increasingly popular.  As well as for the consumers that are now eyeing the luxurious side of life. Blast will keep you warm and cozy when turning off the water and walking out of the shower. No more being freezing cold hoping out of the shower because, with Blast, you’ll always be warm.

ARMored
Hannah Broadhead, Alexa Garcia, Kayla McAfee, Ava Anz
ARMored is a self-defense smartwatch band made for women, by women that allows smartwatch owners to have security anywhere they go. Our band includes bright LED lights and an ear-piercing siren, all just a wrist away, that can alert others and scare an attacker in the midst of a dangerous situation.

UV-Clean
Anjali Gondi, Sam Garcia, Colton Schnell
UV-Clean is a containment device that sanitizes any household item, using ultraviolet light. It allows homeowners to efficiently and effectively clean products that they normally don’t have the time to clean.

Retro Box
Declan Maguire, Natalie Ohlsen, Rohan Malik, Cameron Segura
For guys and girls aged 16-27 who want vintage clothing without the hassle of searching at the thrift, our product is a new subscription service that provides a curated selection of vintage clothing personalized to your interests and style delivered straight to your doorstep. Unlike traditional thrift shops and vintage stores, we do the searching for you and get you the vintage you want at an unbeatable price every month.

BYOC PRODUCTS
Joshua Sharp, Jack Adams, Dallas Collins, Zach Schuller
Our company makes protective protects for computer equipment to make social gaming more practical and accessible. We plan to start out by creating a traveling case for desktop computers and then transition into making products for other equipment as well. Our products are unique due to their quality and durability while being one of the only competitors that is directly targeted towards gamers.

Lumino
Joshua Kirkpatrick, Zumanah Mahmud, Israel Ramirez, Maria Gleason
To business professionals who want a quicker way to exchange information, Lumino is the digital business card that connects you with the click of a button through an automated matchmaking algorithm to fit your specific needs. Lumino is more than just a digital business card, it is the key to a brighter future in the world of business networking.

Raw Essence
Dane Kveton, Sarah-Kaye Thurston, Chase Demming, Audrey Leeper
Raw Essence is an all natural essential oil based patch to conquer everyday obstacles dealing with stress.

Troca
Lexie Papadakis, Luke Merchant, Macy Livingston, Savanna Thate
Through our website Troca, college students will no longer struggle searching for appropriate attire each event requires. The wide variety categorized into styles, design, theme, etc. creates a easy template for customers. Troca allows college students to not only rent clothing for reasonable prices, but also rent out clothing, to students located at the same college, making profit.  

Create Crate
Aditi Rao, George Young, Vanessa Zon, Keeton Field
CreateCrate is a subscription service that delivers boxes filled with hours of fun and challenges for children ages 4-10 every month. This box is ideal for parents or babysitters who want a way to engage their child’s creativity and problem solving skills, while cutting down on their screen time. CreateCrate will encourage traits that will help any child in any field they choose to pursue.

Flame
Shaan Patel, Alessandro Dominguez, Chris Upp
Flame is a marketplace designed for university students to use along with others on their campus. Our service provides a timely and effective platform where college students can buy and sell a large variety of products. In addition, our platform offers local businesses, clubs, and other student organizations on campus the ability to promote merchandise, membership, and events in a manner unlike no other!

JournEase
Mimi Nickerson, Eesha Patel, Cameron Hagin
To U.S. travelers who need forgotten items and a more comfortable experience, JournEase is the travel necessity kit that’s affordable and convenient because it combines needed items into one kit in beneficial locations.

CoWork
Ashiqa Momin, Akshita Boddapu, Sophia Gilbert
As a student, it can be extremely difficult to keep up with the academically rigorous curriculums offered in today’s school systems. CoWork is an online collaboration platform that offers flexibility, collaboration with other students, and expertise from tutors through video-chatting, screen- sharing, and learning tools. We at CoWork, want to help students have access to quality education and become successful along with enhancing the future of virtual learning.

AmpliFood
Christian Montelogue, Omar Azad, Fariss Awad, Grant Shaffer
AmpliFood is an app that helps people with dietary restrictions shop at the grocery store. The user simply scans the UPC code, and the app tells the customer whether or not the product follows their preset dietary restrictions. This makes grocery shopping both safe and efficient for those with dietary restrictions.

Safe Grip
Grant Owen, Coltyn Present, Jackson Hiduke
Safe Grip is a product that aims to preserve the traction of athletic shoes for court sports, while not hindering their look.

Find
Madison Stock, Nick Sabbavarapu, Katherine Parli, Luca Ciardella
For upper middle class parents of children ages 2-13 we have a GPS tracking wristband that links to an app on the parents phone for real time tracking. There would be a monthly charge of $15 for the basic subscription and $30 the premium.

Eco-flavor
Emma Marshall, Luke Fidler, Kate Boenig
This is a flavored straw that is made of stainless steel. It is reusable and overall a better option for the environment. We made this for convenience and to be used for on-the-go. With Eco-Flavor you will be able to enjoy your drink easier and faster!

WYN
Ayush Shaw, Colby Buchanan, Sonny Balu, Michael Meador
WYN is an allowance application that enables parents to monitor children’s spending habits in real time. We offer notifications for purchases and an ability to blacklist spending at certain stores and online marketplaces.

Die Hard Cards
Nolan Mylet, Ava Ellegard, Madelyn Brown, Trevor Harrison
For you and your family to experience a rush of nostalgia, Die Hard Cards is a subscription box that delivers packs of vintage or modern sports cards per month. This inexpensive, and exciting package will be delivered fast and easy, because we want you to feel like a kid again.