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LaunchTown Awards 2010
Winners Announced
"LifeServe Innovations"
Grand prize winner for 2010
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| LaunchTown founder, Tom Barratt (l), presents Grand Prize to 2010 winning team LifeServe Innovations |
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| CitizenGroove team at 2009 awards presented LaunchTown Grand Prize by Adam Shapiro (l) and Tom Barratt (r) |
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The LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards
The "Best Idea" Competition for College Students
Winners were announced on April 19th 2010
at the University of Akron, Martin Center
LaunchTown is the most innovative program of its kind, involving more
college and university students, of all majors, and presenting
their winning ideas for creating new wealth.
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| Adam Shapiro |
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Last year's host for the LaunchTown "Best Idea" Competition was Adam Shapiro of Fox Business Network. Based in FOX's bureau in Washington D.C., Adam provided much of the intensive coverage on the nation's foreclosure crisis, then Adam returned to FOX's New York bureau as a key member of the team covering the Wall Street Meltdown.
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| Ronn Richard, President & CEO of the Cleveland Foundation |
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The Keynote Speaker for last year's LaunchTown Awards was Ronn Richard. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland had just appointed Ronn Richard to the position of Infrastructure Czar for the State of Ohio. Mr. Richard working with the federal government to ensure that Ohio's $4 billion to $6 billion infrastructure component of the Economic Stimulus Package is best invested to create jobs and economic development. 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).
Warren Anderson is founder and president of The Anderson-DuBose Company, a $200 million distribution company based in Solon, Ohio. Mr. Anderson served as LaunchTown's Honored Guest Speaker at last year's awards. Mr. Anderson has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by both the U.S. Department of Commerce and Ernst & Young. Mr. Anderson serves on numerous boards, including the Playhouse Square Foundation and the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. He is also the noted recipient of the NAACP Distinguised Service Award.
Phil Brennan is the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of ReXorce Thermionics, one of Northeast Ohio's most promising advanced technology companies, turning waste heat into new energy. ReXorce is a leader in the JumpStart Portfolio of Companies and has most recently closed a multi-million dollar deal with a group of international investors. Mr. Brennan was the Special Guest Speaker at last year's LaunchTown Awards.
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| Warren Anderson President, Anderson-DuBose |
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| Phil Brennan, COO ReXorce Thermionics |
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The LaunchTown 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 LaunchTown 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.
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| Student winners receive $5,000 LaunchTown Prize 2008 |
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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.
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| John Osher (left) presents award to LaunchTown winner |
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| Click the above and see a
60 second tribute to the
2008 LAUNCHTOWN AWARDS
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"BEST IDEA"
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