Each semester Red Startup gives Denison student entrepreneurs resources to ideate and workshop their personal passion projects. Red Startup is an 8-week program where students have access to mentors and coaches to help bring their idea to life — identify the right market, build a business plan, and identify funding sources. Students work in teams of two to six people or individually and it all culminates in a highly competitive pitch contest on April 28.
These enterprising concepts were developed in the spring of 2021.
Jeju Navigator
Student lead: Sarah Moon ’22
A tiered language services platform to help non-Korean speaking residents navigate important communication and sensitive processes, including healthcare, contracts and important purchases.
Update: Jeju Navigator has been making money since last June and has expansion plans throughout Korea and beyond.
Statify
Student Lead: Jorden Anfinson ’24
A sports analysis and outcome prediction engine, focused initially on NCAA basketball. A trial run during March Madness is producing eye-popping results.
Update: Statify beat all major platforms’ projections for March Madness. Results were eye-popping at the elite stage, placing him in the 99.6th percentile against all others. Final results were in the 93rd-94the range.
Millennial Mentor
Student Lead: Anish Gurjar ’24
A consulting service to help Indian high school students understand the opportunity and application process to reach their dream of studying college abroad.
Update: Millennial Mentor’s Anish Gurjar has won several pitch competitions, and is funding his startup through them. He won this year’s Red Startup Pitch Competition, taking home $750.00.
TrialMatch
Student Lead: Colleen Boyle ’24
A platform focused on optimizing the match between medical trials and the patients who could benefit from participation.
Update: Trial Match won the Crowd Favorite prize of $250.00
You’ve got Notes!
Student Lead: Khaf Hussein
An exchange for students to buy and sell class notes, in a consistent and proven format. Beta launching in late April.
Update: You’ve got Notes! Has been renamed to Reffer.
CultGame
Student Lead: Jeff Stevens ’21
A digital fantasy game focused on creating and shaping the logic and influence of your own religion. In development for about four years, Jeff is working on a launch strategy for later this year.
Some enterprises are specifically geared to the Denison campus. These teams worked closely with Denison Enterprises and their president, Lauren Kessler ’21. In her role, Kessler worked at Red Startup to focus on these three teams.
Lokel
Student Lead: Philipp Srivastava ’21
A mobile platform to help students filter relevant events and retail incentives on and near campus that integrates with calendars. This is growing a campus user base and collaborating with local business owners.
Revival
Student Lead: Aliya Brennan ’24
An on-campus thrift store providing students with an affordable and sustainable on campus clothing opportunity. Prototype store launching in April setting the stage for operations next Fall.
Update: Revival thrift’s grand opening sold goods to 90 unique customers, making over $1,100!
RollDenny
Student Lead: Sydney Kistler ’22
An after-hours food delivery service for students. The prototype launched in April for campus trials in conjunction with our campus food service leveraging and building on the existing app students have access to now.
Caffeinated Communiqué
April guest speaker, David Steingard, business partner of Hugh Jackman (yes, that Hugh Jackman!) founded Laughing Man Coffee. He was joined by several other coffee-related entrepreneurs.
JoGo - Nick Yehle ’20 and partner developed a coffee straw to filter fresh coffee. Kickstarter is launching this month, and they just got some great TV coverage. Plus, they are picking some initial investment to fuel growth. They partner with Survival International that supports indiginous people and their land rights.
Update: JoGo: has raised an astounding $260,000 so far - 26 times their original goal!
Mai Coffee, Alan Phung ’22 - current student with a Vietnamese coffee importing business. Phung just signed his first major deal to import an entire 20’ container of coffee for a distributor.
Ujjo - Lauren D’Souza. Former colleague at Rev1 Ventures, current Market Manager with Red Bull and Friend of Denison (she presented on campus in February ‘20). Lauren is building a spiced coffee additive brand and launching on Kickstarter in April. The product has been in development for over a year.
Update: Ujjo has raised $36,000, or seven times their original goal!