The LaunchTown™ Entrepreneurship Awards

Northeast Ohio's "Best Idea" Competition for University Students of All Majors

Program Info

Competition Guidelines

Student Sign-up

Press Release

 
LaunchTownTM 
Announcing opening of the student competition!
 Best New Idea for Academic year 2011-12
Students from the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, Case Western Reserve University

Attention Students: Review the 
Competition Guidelines and
complete your
Intent to Enter form now!

 
 


LaunchTownTM is the most innovative program of its kind, with
a track record of helping college and university students, of
all majors, in launching their winning ideas for 
creating new wealth and business.
$10,000 cash prize to the winner!





Akron ARCHAngel Network
LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards
North Coast Angel Fund


 
JumpStart
Civic Innovation Lab
Akron Global Business Accelerator
     
 

Businessweek
Recognizes the top 25 under 25 in America



2010 LaunchTownTM winner LifeServe Innovations
selected by Businessweek

2009 LaunchTownTM winner CitizenGroove
selected by Businessweek


 
LaunchTown founder, Tom Barratt (l), presents Grand Prize to 2010 winning team LifeServe Innovations




LaunchTown
Adam Shapiro



Host for the 2009 LaunchTownTM 
Entrepreneurship Awards was
Adam Shapiro of Fox Business
  



LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards
CitizenGroove team at 2009 awards presented LaunchTown Grand Prize by Adam Shapiro (l) and Tom Barratt (r)
 
Ronn Richard Cleveland Foundation
Ronn Richard, President & CEO of the Cleveland Foundation



 
The Keynote Speaker for 2009's LaunchTown Awards was Ronn Richard. As president & CEO of The Cleveland Foundation, Mr. Richard's is well-versed in economic development and investment. The Cleveland Foundation is the nation's oldest community foundation and third-largest.  Prior to joining the Cleveland Foundation, Mr. Richard was the managing partner and chief operating officer of the CIA’s venture capital fund.  He is a former U.S. diplomat having served in Japan and the former president of North American research and development for Matsushita Electric (Panasonic).



 
 

The LaunchTownTM Entrepreneurship Awards are an idea competition
, seeking students with the BEST IDEA for a new business, product or service to create wealth.  LaunchTown is an open competition, available to all students, of all majors, from all colleges and universities. 

The LaunchTownTM Leadership Team has presented over $100,000 in cash and service prizes since establishing LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards in 2006.  LaunchTown is the top annual event for venture and angel investors coming out to see the number one winning ideas from students of all majors.



LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards
Student winners receive $5,000 LaunchTown Prize 2008

John Osher was the Keynote Speaker for the 2008 LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards
.  John's story is that of a dynamic “serial entrepreneur” who has developed literally hundreds of consumer products in his career, everything from energy saving devices to baby products, toys and candy, and many household appliances. 

John has built and sold numbers of successful businesses to major corporations and is most popularly known as the guy who brought the “five dollar electric toothbrush” to the world.  Launched as the SpinBrush, in only fifteen months, it became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S.  He started "Dr John’s" toothbrush company in 1999 and sold the venture to Procter and Gamble only two years later at a record-breaking multiple for the industry, rumored at close to half-a-billion dollars. 

John Osher has over fifty patents and has developed numbers of other products which he has ultimately sold to Fortune 500 companies. He is a well regarded supporter of the Arts, and is also a Tony Award winning Broadway Producer.



John Osher (left) presents award to LaunchTown winner
 
"BEST  IDEA"

The LaunchTownTM Entrepreneurship Awards
Presented by the LaunchTown Leadership Team

LaunchTown™ is a Registered Trademark
 

© Copyright 2006-2012. All rights reserved.

Email inquiries to Anthony Margida, LaunchTown Leadership Team
ajmargida@neo.rr.com