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Capstone Experiences

 

ENGN 1930G/H: Entrepreneurship I & II

This two-semester capstone provides students with the opportunity to work on a simulated startup company. Multidisciplinary teams of students work on mentor-defined opportunities, from product or process conception to commercialization.  The course is intended to show what it takes to assemble teams with core competencies in different areas into a successfully functioning business organization. Teams work on issues of intellectual property, marketing (including marketing survey and analysis, market segmentation, identification of target markets, and competitor analysis), definition of a product requirements document, human factors (including team building and personnel evaluation), safety and environmental concerns, and legal matters.  In every year that the course has been offered, some of the student team-created businesses have been selected as finalists, or won, business plan competitions at Brown, statewide in Rhode Island, and even placed very high in national and international competitions.

ENGN 1930G/H: Entrepreneurship I & II syllabus

Capstone Course, 2010-2011: From ideas to the market place

Under the direction of Professor Steven Petteruti 21 students met throughout the academic year to cap their entrepreneurship learning at Brown. The students formed three groups, each with a mentor, and developed business plans to bring products to the market place.

The following is a brief description of the projects:

1. BladeTech

The goal of this group was is to develop a system to attain perfect intubations, every time.

They would accomplish the goal building a reusable add-on to a standard laryngoscope, with a video screen device for optimal visualization and LED illumination. The device would improve on existing laryngoscopes because it would be low-friction and easy passage through the human upper airway. The students built a prototype of the first generation device and planned to meet with Brown’s technological transfer office to discuss intellectual property issues. The following students took part in developing BladeTech:

  • Naomi Inoshita, COE Technology Management
  • Neil Parikh, COE Technology Management
  • David Gurevich, COE Technology Management
  • Andrew Serrano, COE Technology Management
  • Zhong Gao
  • Macie Winship, COE Technology Management

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation

2. HnC Products

Using core thermoelectrics technology, this group developed a product resembling a thermos or travel mug that has the ability to heat and cool beverages in 3 minutes or less. The mug would have a customizable sleeve, a plug and buttons to control the temperature. The group plans on seeking intellectual property protection for key design innovations and extend the model to specialized markets such as sports and camping. The target market of the initial design is environmentally conscious adults, commuters, and users of high-end products. The prototype is being tested in small coffee chains. This plan won the to 5th Annual Rhode Island Elevator Pitch Competition and was a finalist in the student track of the 2011 RI Business plan Competition.

The student group was comprised of:

  • Dan Prendergast
  • Theresa Raimondo
  • Ioanna Pantelaki
  • Karolina Cambanis, COE Business Economics
  • Jaclyn Small, COE Technology Management
  • Victoria Zanelli, COE Organizational Studies
  • Margaret Watson, COE Technology Management

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation

3. C2

This group developed a location-based application for smart phones to facilitate social planning in colleges. The application provides information and real time visuals of social hotspots and includes capabilities such as text messaging and rating. The group’s business model includes an aggressive marketing strategy—based on existing social structures--to fend off competition, and a pricing model with financial rewards for early sign up. After graduation, this group modified the product concept, hired two software engineers, and was accepted into the BetaSpring program.

The students in this group included:

  • Quinn Savit, COE Technology Management
  • Dan Aziz, COE Business Economics
  • Henry Hawley, COE Organizational Studies
  • Kevin Deemer, COE Technology Management
  • Julie Gaertner
  • Seth Ratner, COE Technology Management
  • Jordan Maddocks, COE Technology Management
  • Andrew Feinberg, COE Organizational Studies

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation

 

Capstone Course, 2009-2010: From ideas to the market place

Under the direction of Professors Eric Suuberg and Steven Petteruti 15 students met throughout the academic year to cap their entrepreneurship learning at Brown. The students formed three groups, each with a mentor, and developed business plans to bring products to the market place. Two of the three projects were semifinalists in the student category of the 2010 RI Business Plan Competition. All three were finalists n the  2010 EP Entrepreneurship Competition, and two groups won prizes in this the competition. The following is a brief description of the projects:

1. Ulterious Enterprises

The goal of this group is to develop composite materials and research their mass market applications. Its first product is called Ultra Block. It will be used as a part in machines that replicate DNA for genetic study. Ultra Block improves the efficiency and quality of DNA amplification, which will in turn be applied in many areas, from decoding the human genome to finding a cure for cancer. Ulterious enterprises won first prize in the EP Entrepreneurship Competition. The following students took part in developing Ultra Block:

  • Juan Vasconez, COE Technology Management
  • Greg Stepina, COE Organizational Studies
  • Ibiayi Briggs, COE Business Economics
  • Nick Elenz-Martin, COE Technology Management
  • Jeff Hay, COE Technology Management
  • Amy Liang, Engineering, Materials Science

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation.

2. Dia Vive

This group developed a device for the treatment of needle pain. The product is based on high-frequency mechanical vibration for analgesia. Its principal advantage over existing products is that Dia Vibe is drug-free. The main intended market for the product is laboratory testing. Dia Vibe won second prize in the 2010 EP Entrepreneurship Competition.  The group that developed it includes Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design students:

  • Adam Leonard, Brown, Neuroscience
  • Ling Liu, Brown, COE Business Economics
  • Cole Bonner, Brown, COE Business Economics
  • Brian Fisher, Brown, Mechanical Engineering
  • Nick Ritter, Brown, Electrical Engineering
  • Yukinori “Miles” Endo, RISD, Industrial Design

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation.

3. Solubricin

This group developed new urinary catheters that would reduce significantly the likelihood of infections. The catheters would be coated with the naturally-occurring protein lubricin. Pilot studies have produced a significant reduction in the colonization rate of bacteria in lubricin-coated catheters. The group of students developing this product includes three COE students in the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management and Organizational Studies tracks:

  • Brian Neff, COE Technology Management
  • Cody Simmons, COE Technology Management
  • Jose Vasconez, COE Organizational Studies

For more information click here to see the group's final presentation.