News
Article Published: July, 2004
Metroboom Earns Top Honor at Bard Competition
The 'metrosexual' concept isn't entirely new. Jung Park told judges at the Bard Center Business Plan Competition that the Rat Pack was very much in tune with good grooming.
A full-service styling salon exclusively for men earned top honors to cap off the third annual Business Plan competition, sponsored by the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship at the Business School at the University of Colorado at Denver.
Winner Jung Park was one of six finalists who presented their plans to three judges and more than 200 audience members Tuesday, June 15, at the Marriott City Center in downtown Denver. Park explained his salon, Metroboom, will cater to the burgeoning 'metrosexual' population, men who take pride in their appearance and take care in choosing grooming products, clothing and accessories.
Whereas the Magnificent 7 defined the styles of the '60s, Park explained, appearance-conscious celebrities such as Brad Pitt, David Beckham, and P. Diddy have helped define the men of the 21st Century. What might be considered a fad now, he told the judges, is quickly becoming the norm. The judges, stressing the quality of Park's business plan and presentation, awarded Park the $10,000 top prize and thousands of dollars in in-kind prizes.
Sterisil, headed by Craig Hofmeister, earned the $5,000 second place honor and $5,000 in the inaugural biotech category to advance its patented system that provides water purification to the dental industry. The biotech award was made possible by a monetary gift from Mary Campbell, a new member of the Bard Center Advisory Council who is involved in supporting biotech-entrepreneurship programs.
Third place honors and $2,500 went to Kal Rucker of ProDeuce, a company building customer loyalty in grocery stores by providing consumers a customized shopping guide called a 'SlickList.'
Other finalists ñ awarded $1,000 each ñ included:
- Trasona Pharmaceuticals: Kevin Schmidt led a team designing an intervention method to improve the outcomes in critically ill patients.
- Sawatch Enterprises: John Griffin and Mark Richterare in the process of establishing a non-invasive assay for diagnosing emphysema.
- Peak 360: Gary Friedman promoted his team's insurance management firm employing risk-management solutions.
The Bard Center for Entrepreneurship, established in 1996 by the University of Colorado at Denver's Business School, is committed to educating, mentoring, incubating and providing resources to innovative business ventures. Sandy Bracken, executive director, said this year's finalists were 'a cut above' most start-up ventures. These plans, he stressed, exemplify the Bard tradition of helping launch and successfully incubate new businesses aimed at adding value to the Colorado economy.
Aaron Kennedy, CEO of Noodles & Co., was keynote speaker, giving luncheon participants a litmus test for entrepreneurial inclinations. Entrepreneurs, he said, must have:
- passion for the product
- drive the courage to make the leap from the safe haven of working for someone else
- the ingenuity to overcome barriers that inevitably arise
- determination and tenacity
- physical and emotional endurance patience to allow a concept to breathe and come to life
- the ability to involve others in their vision the foresight to see the big picture and how the business will come together
- the ability to set their egos aside and pick up a broom
Judges were Jim Lejeal, chief executive officer and co-founder of Oxlo Systems; Tim Enwall, connectivity partner at Appian Venture Partners; and J. William Freytag, president, CEO and chairman of Myogen since 1998.
skylines@cudenver.edu
