First-Year Babson Undergraduate Students Launch 28 Businesses
WELLESLEY, Mass., March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Twenty-eight new student businesses have been launched as part of Babson College's Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME) course, a 7-credit immersion into the world of business.
As part of the required year-long FME course, all first-year Babson students are given the assignment to develop and run a business during the spring semester.
Twenty-eight teams of students invent, develop, launch, manage, and liquidate a business. Along the way, they immerse themselves in entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting, organizational behavior, information systems, and operations.
Babson provides up to $3,000 per startup which is repaid after liquidation of the business at semester's end.
Students within each business donate five hours, along with all profits, to a local community service agency of choice. Agencies supported by FME businesses have included
- Special Olympics,
- Habitat for Humanity,
- Greater Boston Food Bank,
- Cradles to Crayons,
- Boys and Girls Club,
- Community Servings,
- Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore, and
- World Vision.
More than $430,000 in profits have been donated to local charities since the program began in 1999.
"The experience is more than just learning how to launch a startup. It's about exploring career options. It's about identifying and creating opportunities, understanding personal goals, managing team dynamics, and communicating effectively. Above all, it's about turning ideas into action," said Associate Dean Rob Major.
2014 Babson FME Businesses
#BabsonFME
Babo Boxes
The company's mission statement is to provide affordable and convenient packages, created by Babson students for Babson students. These packages are made up of snacks and gifts that are themed for different needs or occasions.
@BaboBoxes
Babo Boxes on Facebook
Babo Boxes website
Babotise
Babotise is an advertisement company at Babson that will provide advertisement services to local businesses in Wellesley and Needham including providing advertisement space in enclosed glass bulletin boards, designing ads, and distributing their menus and flyers. Babotise strives to make the advertisement services of local businesses more effective and efficient while simultaneously providing a benefit to the Babson community.
@Babotise
Babotise on Facebook
Babotise website
Babson Honey
Babson Honey will be selling specially packaged honey, by installing and maintaining four beehives on campus. Packaging, local production, and the social value we create during the process of running our business – this is how our honey is different from what you can buy in stores.
@BabsonHoney
Babson Honey on Facebook
Babson Honey website
BedSideKick
BedSideKick is a growing company dedicated to producing convenient bed-side holders that will make the customer's life easier. Users will be able to keep their personal belongings (cellphone, tablet, bottle of water, wallet) beside their bed at all times.
@BedSideKick
BedSideKick on Facebook
BedSideKick website
BioGrounds
Our company is selling fertilizer supplement consisting of collected coffee grounds that will be dried and packaged. We will be acquiring grounds from various locations and selling them to gardeners. @Bio_Grounds
BioGrounds on Facebook
BioGrounds website
BoomCube
BoomCube is a company that sells iPhone cases. The cases amplify the in-built speakers of the phone.
@Boom_Cube
BoomCube on Facebook
BoomCube website
bulletn.
bulletn. is a mobile app where users select their general interests and a virtual bulletin board is created for each interest. On each board, there will be events in Boston and events on campus that the user would be interested in, as well as other interest-based content like movies to watch, articles to read etc.
@bulletn_info
bulletn. on Facebook
bulletn. website
Cable Turtle
Cable Turtle will provide customers with convenient wire organization. The space-friendly products can be used to reduce the length of variously sized wires. We provide two products, the Cable Turtle medium and the LP Clean Winder, which is smaller.
@CableTurtle
Cable Turtle on Facebook
Cable Turtle website
CoverIt
CoverIt aims to offer consumers an affordable way to display their individuality while minimizing laptop damage. CoverIt will sell MacBook covers in a variety of colors and fully customizable stickers in two sizes.
DoodleBoard
The DoodleBoard is a consumer product bringing the usefulness and versatility of a whiteboard on the go. The DoodleBoard easily folds into a 9" x 9" board (quad fold like a gameboard), but can expand to 18" by 18", all with a whiteboard surface. It's truly remarkable!
@doodleboardco
DoodleBoard on Facebook
DoodleBoard website
Encore Coolers
Encore Music Coolers are coolers with built-in speakers, which are suitable for events ranging from tail-gating parties, and sports team excursions to beach trips and picnics.
@EncoreCoolers
EncoreCoolers website
EnvoScrubs
EnvoScrubs is an environmentally focused company that sells biodegradable organic cleaning wipes that will have the ability to clean multiple surfaces from dishes to countertops.
@EnvoScrubs
EnvoScrubs on Facebook
EnvoScrubs website
FitMe
FitMe is a fitness company that will sell spandex belts that hold keys, credit cards, and phones while a person is working out. FitMe will to reach out to running groups and other athletic teams to sell their product in bulk.
@FitMeBelts
FitMe on Facebook
FitMe website
Flex Cord
Flex Cord provide customers with a fun, flexible and convenient way to charge and use their phones with an innovative cord for a range of activities from cooking to even driving. Imagination is the limit.
@FlexCord
Flex Cord on Facebook
Flex Cord website
Fridge-Pal
Fridge-Pal is a business aiming to solve the problem arising from fridge odor in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. Fridge-Pal is a product that uses used coffee grounds in order to neutralize fridge odor.
@FridgePal13
Fridge-Pal on Facebook
Fridge-Pal website
Frocket T
Frocket T's are soft and stylish slim-fit shirts with customizable colors and pocket designs. Made with organic cotton, Frocket tends to the needs of you, your organization, or sports team! With our crewneck t-shirts, you can look comfortable or classy while expressing your creativity by choosing your look yourself.
@FrocketTApparel
Frocket T on Facebook
Frocket T website
GripStrip
The GripStrip is a reusable silicon pad that can stick on almost any surface. The pad allows one to attach almost any solid object to it without leaving a mark, stain, or scratch on any surface. A practical use for this device would be to prevent mobile phones from sliding around in a car by placing atop of a pad on the dashboard.
@gripstripfme
GripStrip on Facebook
Heat Me Cup
Heat Me Cup is a quality, stainless steel vacuum flask that allows customers to keep hot drinks from going cold, and cold drinks from warming, for over 24 hours. The product is 18 oz. It is customizable by logo of Heat Me Cup, or any logo can be designed for bulk orders.
@HeatMeCup
Heat Me Cup on Facebook
Heat Me Cup website
Locator
Locator aims to offer consumers a better way to keep track of the items they find most important in their lives. Through a collaborative business partnership with Chipolo, a team of technology entrepreneurs in Slovenia who designed the Chipolo tracking device, Locator seeks to help a broad market of users find their missing items more efficiently.
Locator website
Lost-it Group
Lost-it Group will be purchasing the rights for distributing an app that already exists and selling the hardware for it.
@LostitGroup
Lost-it Group website
Onesies Clothing Company
The Onesie Clothing Company will be selling one piece pajama suits which are called onesies in various patterns and animal prints. The goal of the business is to create a social impact by selling fun and comfortable clothing.
@OnesieClothing
Onesie Clothing Company on Facebook
PillowTop
PillowTop is a customized headboard that is intended for use of college-age students that live in residence halls or residence towers. The product is being custom-made on Babson's campus by the entire team. Our mission is to give back countless hours of sleep to students while keeping their room stylish at the same time!
@pillowtopco
PillowTop on Facebook
PillowTop website
Polar Vortex
Polar Vortex is a company selling slush making cups, giving customers their personalized slush anytime anywhere. The slush cup is a simple device which one simply freezes overnight before use when any beverage can be transformed into a slush.
@PolarVortexCo
Polar Vortex on Facebook
Polar Vortex website
Second Take
Second Take believes in providing an entertaining and inexpensive movie experience for Babson College students. Our service shows newly released and classic movies on weekends. There will be six showings, each with a different theme that supports a different charity.
@2ndTakeCinema
2nd Take Cinema on Facebook
ShapeCreate
ShapeCreate is a business that sells 10 x 10 whiteboards with edges that connect like a puzzle. This innovative and creative approach to an old product has the goal of promoting creativity and problem solving. ShapeCreate serves both consumers and businesses.
@ShapeCreate
ShapeCreate on Facebook
ShapeCreate website
TapTag
TapTag is a technology company that provides Near-Field Communication (NFC) products to its customers—each of which are personally programmed with the desired information/action. TapTag's mission is to empower our customers with the ability to share information in a highly recognizable form by utilizing the latest in networking technologies.
@JustTapIt
TapTag on Facebook
TapTag website
Twystwyst
Twystwyst sells wire winders to both companies, as a promotional object, and consumers, as a handy utility to store and use wires. The wire winder works by placing a wire in between two plastic caps that rotate to wind the wire, keeping the wire safe, untangled and easily windable. The product is circular with a 6 cm diameter and a curve top on which we will (optionally) apply vinyl stickers to suit the needs of the consumers or businesses.
@Twystwyst
Twystwyst on Facebook
Twystwyst website
Wired Up
Wired Up is a high performance athletic shirt made of a dry fit material. The shirt has four consecutive loops running up the front left side of the shirt with the function to wire your headphones through in order to keep them secure and close to your body.
@TheWiredUpShirt
Wired Up on Facebook
Wired Up website
About Babson College
Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds™. The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society—while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. Visit www.babson.edu
SOURCE Babson College
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