Paws up and claws out at Panther Cage
Collage by Matias Pacheco-Ramirez, Photographer
What started in a small classroom is now recognized as a hub for business scholars. The Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics hosted its annual Panther Cage competition on March 13.
The event provided community members and Chapman student entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their already-operating businesses to a panel of seven venture capitalists, angel investors and experienced founders, some of whom were from TCA Venture Group and OSEA Angel Investors.
Community founders had a 30-second slot on stage with an ask tied to the company valuation, requesting investment based on how much they believe their company is worth, while student entrepreneurs had three minutes to pitch their business with the opportunity to win the $1,500 prize.
Modeled after ABC’s “Shark Tank,” judges queried participants on what differentiates their business from competitors, why they should invest their capital and expected market growth.
“We really want to create an economic impact hub here at Chapman and in Orange County,” said Sarah Solorio, community and mentor program coordinator. “We are one of 13 inclusive innovation hubs in the state of California that was awarded to us through the California Office of (the) Small Business Advocate.”
Photo Courtesy of Penny Epstein
Reelate, a social app for movies and shows, launched only two weeks ago, won the competition and the grand prize.
Founder Brady Fisher, a senior majoring in computer science, said the app is designed to make it easy to see what friends are watching and use those insights to help users find something to watch next.
“We have almost 300 users on the platform, over 19,000 reviews and more than 40,000 impressions across our social media platforms,” said Fisher.
Reelate’s business development lead, Zach Lipfield, a senior international business major, said the Leatherby Center has been helpful throughout the app development process.
“When it comes to the grants, I mean, we're really excited to just see hard work pay off,” said Lipfield.
Fisher said the company is currently collaborating with Dodge College for Film and Media Arts to exclusively integrate independent student filmmaking into the app.
With the Panther Cage award money, Reelate plans to hire a user interface, experience and product designer to help refine the app’s layout and develop intuitive interactions. Ultimately, the goal is to launch at the University of Southern California and New York University.
Finalist Just a Real Bite (JARB) is a wellness company created to fill the market need for healthy pet foods and treats.
Photo by Matias Pacheco-Ramirez, Photographer
Jabir Sukkarieh, a junior economics major at Chapman, and Borna Hamedani, a junior accounting and finance major at California State University, Fullerton, came together in a shared concern for dogs’ well-being.
Their shared desire is to extend a pet's lifespan by making it a mission for dogs to eat more like humans: clean, single-ingredient nutrition without unreadable ingredients on the label.
“The goal is to feed raw anywhere, because feeding raw is hard,” said Hamedani.
JARB aims to make raw, healthy pet food as accessible as possible. They are already on the market and supply local coffee shops and snowboard shops in South Lake Tahoe.
One resource is the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) mentorship program. Kristie Bell, a strategic alliance executive, is serving as a mentor in EIR this spring.
“The teams have done a great job,” said Bell. “The information has been really helpful (and) their structure has been really good."
Photo by Matias Pacheco-Ramirez, Photographer
She encouraged her mentees to attend the competition and was satisfied with the insights they gained on how to structure their pitches in the future.
“Something that's so exciting about the Leatherby Center is everything that we have is a free resource that is offered to community founders as well as student founders, so anybody at any time could come in here and get guidance,” said Solorio.
Events like Panther Cage continue to showcase the innovation emerging from Chapman and the surrounding community, reinforcing the Leatherby Center’s mission to support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.