Imagine camping in the middle of a hot Oklahoma summer or attending an outdoor sports event with a cooler that serves as a portable air conditioner.
That's the cool idea behind the potentially hot market for a product called IcyBreeze.
On Thursday, Clint Donaldson, co-owner of IcyBreeze, and Andrew Jenkins, president and CEO, spoke about the patent-pending product - a modern, multiuse portable cooler and air conditioner unit that simultaneously keeps beverages and people cool. Dave Yonce is the other co-owner.
IcyBreeze is among 12 semifinalists hoping to advance in the Tulsa Community College StartUp Cup, an annual entrepreneurial competition that will award a $30,000 grand prize in November. Second place is $5,000 and third place is $2,500.
The seven-month competition, which kicked off in April, is supported by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation. It is open to anyone with a new business idea or a business that has been in operation for less than three years.
On Thursday, all 12 semifinalists had five minutes each to impress judges with their business plans and convince them that their ideas deserve to advance to the final round.
Donaldson and Jenkins were the first contestants to greet the judges. After spending several hours rehearsing in front of friends and colleagues, both were ready to give their presentation when they walked into a board room at the TCC Northeast Campus.
Donaldson recounted for the judges how he used to coach youth baseball and watched parents suffering in the sweltering heat.
"I wanted to come up with something that would give people a way to beat the heat. So I started developing a product that uses a standard cooler that uses the ice water in it," Donaldson said.
The wheeled, 38-quart cooler, which has ample room for food and beverages, has a rechargeable battery in the lid that lasts up to seven hours. It features a two-cup holder and three-speed fan with a low, medium and high setting that blows cold, dry air like an air conditioner. It's all green and has no Freon, Jenkins said. The cold air is created by using the ice water inside the cooler.
The makers of the product plan to focus on two markets - family sports and camping - but they have identified 10 other opportunities, Jenkins said. He painted a mental image for judges of how IcyBreeze could be used on sidelines of football fields, in the dugout of a baseball game and by parents and siblings sitting in lawn chairs at sports events.
"My parents don't come to my son's football games in August or September - it's too hot," Jenkins said. "This changes that. This is a game changer. Now we will have an option that changes our behavior in the hot, outdoor environment."
The company's website, icybreeze.com, went live Thursday, and the company has begun taking pre-orders for the portable air conditioner kit that ranges from $375 to $435.
The entrepreneurs initially planned to launch their product next spring by producing 10,000 units but have opted to go ahead and start accepting pre-orders. They said they will have the capacity to annually manufacture 40,000 units and expect to be profitable in their first full year of business.
IcyBreeze will be manufactured in Bixby. The business has five employees now but could grow to 20 when it reaches full capacity, they said.
Judges asked the two men sundry questions, including those about financing, their goals for the product and how they would use the prize money if they won.
This is the second year of judging for James George, the founder of Fogue and Bates, Café Cubana and Habanos Acquistions.
"What I'm going to be looking for is a business concept that is viable, sustainable, and hopefully reproduceable and that can build into something that adds to the job roster locally," said George, prior to the competition.
He also is looking for a concept that delivers a solution to a need. Before Apple Inc. came out with its iPhone, for example, people didn't know they needed one, George said.
All 12 semifinalists are passionate about their ideas and have created a wonderful vision, George said.
Corey Carolina, another contestant, is founder of Carolina Food Co. LLC, which makes Toasted Wine Fruit Spreads - a wine- and fruit-based jelly. The fruit spread, which comes in six flavors, already is showing up on store shelves, including Reasor's, Petty's Fine Foods, Whole Foods Market, Akin's Natural Foods, GreenAcres Market in Jenks, as well as locations in Oklahoma City, Edmond and Louisiana, Carolina said.
This is Carolina's second year to enter the StartUp Cup, but the first time he has advanced in the competition. He worked with Oklahoma State University food scientists to perfect the recipe.
"The biggest thing I've learned from the competition is evaluating my own business and ... learning different technique from the coaches about marketing and presentation and how to answer questions on my feet," he said.
His idea for making the fruit spread is a tribute to his late grandmother, who used to make jelly and often asked him to learn how to make jelly with her when he was younger, but he never had time.
"My grandmother would have been proud seeing all of this," Carolina said.
TCC StartUp Cup semi-finalists
Reach Clothing LLC: A children's clothing company selling products under a "buy one, give one" business model where for every item purchased, an item is donated to a child in need in the United States.
New Healthy Lifestyle LLC: The maker of Body Barz, a grain-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, high-protein, low-carb, non-GMO product available made with no preservatives, additives or artificial sweeteners.
Two Guys Bow Ties: Makes unique men's clothing accessories including wooden bow ties, available in a variety of exotic hardwoods. Additional accessories are in development.
idefi Group LLC: Allows independent artists to build a free profile on
idefi.com through which they can sell their music and merchandise, stream live concerts and events, build and communicate with their fan base, and access and update their social media profiles.
CleanNG LLC: The inventor and manufacturer of the MagmaCel, an advanced fuel storage system for natural gas vehicles that can also store a variety of other gasses including helium, hydrogen, and oxygen.
CNG Oklahoma LLC: The retailer of used CNG-dedicated and biofueled vehicles, and a state-certified specialist in the service and conversion of automobiles and trucks to run on compressed natural gas.
Smart Panel: Produces a home energy management product that is mounted on the circuit breaker of homes and small commercial buildings. The tool includes wireless technology that allows remote monitoring of energy consumption and provides for the immediate or scheduled control of circuits.
Sayah LLC: The developer of a real-time customizeable satisfaction survey tool with point-of-service collection using tablet (iPad or similar) or any other Apple/Android/Internet-capable device.
Level Load Industries: Inventor of an electronic device that lets a forklift operator know whether the machine's load is level to prevent objects from falling off. The device is designed to cut down on industrial accidents.
Carolina Food Co. LLC: The maker of Toasted Wine Fruit Spreads, a patent-pending recipe for a wine- and fruit-based spread.
Bright Tot: Provides a subscription service that sends boxes full of fun, developmentally appropriate activities to families every month.
IcyBreeze LLC: A portable cooler and air conditioner single unit that simultaneously keeps beverages and people chilled.
Information:
tulsaworld.com/startupcup
TCC StartUp Cup semifinalists
Reach Clothing LLC: A children's clothing company selling products under a "buy one, give one" business model where for every item purchased, an item is donated to a child in need in the United States.
New Healthy Lifestyle LLC: The maker of Body Barz, a grain-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, high-protein, low-carb, non-GMO product made with no preservatives, additives or artificial sweeteners.
Two Guys Bow Ties: Makes unique men's clothing accessories including wooden bow ties, available in a variety of exotic hardwoods. Additional accessories are in development.
idefi Group LLC: Allows independent artists to build a free profile on idefi.com, through which they can sell their music and merchandise, stream live concerts and events, build and communicate with their fan base, and access and update their social media profiles.
CleanNG LLC: The inventor and manufacturer of the MagmaCel, an advanced fuel storage system for natural gas vehicles that can also store a variety of other gasses including helium, hydrogen, and oxygen.
CNG Oklahoma LLC: The retailer of used CNG-dedicated and biofueled vehicles, and a state-certified specialist in the service and conversion of automobiles and trucks to run on compressed natural gas.
Smart Panel: Produces a home energy management product that is mounted on the circuit breaker of homes and small commercial buildings. The tool includes wireless technology that allows remote monitoring of energy consumption and provides for the immediate or scheduled control of circuits.
Sayah LLC: The developer of a real-time customizeable satisfaction survey tool with point-of-service collection using tablet (iPad or similar) or any other Apple/Android/Internet-capable device.
Level Load Industries: Inventor of an electronic device that lets a forklift operator know whether the machine's load is level to prevent objects from falling off. The device is designed to cut down on industrial accidents.
Carolina Food Co. LLC: The maker of Toasted Wine Fruit Spreads, a patent-pending recipe for a wine- and fruit-based spread.
Bright Tot: Provides a subscription service that sends boxes full of fun, developmentally appropriate activities to families every month.
IcyBreeze LLC: A portable cooler and air conditioner single unit that simultaneously keeps beverages and people chilled.
Information: tulsaworld.com/startupcup
Laurie Winslow 918-581-8466
laurie.winslow@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Pitches made in StartUp Cup
FYI
The TCC StartUp Cup's search for entrepreneurial excellence narrowed its scope to six finalists Tuesday.
John Chandler, chief financial officer of Magellan Midstream Partners LP, will leave the partnership at the end of March, the Tulsa-based company announced Tuesday.
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