MANA Nutrition Wins Dream Big America December Championship, January's Startup Contestants Are Announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dream Big America, the first-ever live nationally syndicated radio show pitting startup business ventures against each other, and broadcast on Doug Stephan's Good Day Show (www.dougstephan.com) each Tuesday at 9:10 am EST, announced today the December Dream Big Champion is MANA Nutrition (www.MANANutrition.org) from Matthews, North Carolina.

MANA (Mother Administered Nutritive Aid) produces a special fortified peanut butter for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which affects over 20 million children each year. Roughly three servings of MANA a day for six weeks can save the life of a child suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Today, MANA Nutrition can produce as much as 21,000 kg (46,000 lbs) of MANA per day — enough to feed 1,500 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition over six weeks.

Mark Moore, CEO of MANA, initially pitched and won on the December 3^rd Dream Big America Show. MANA then advanced to the Finals Show on December 31^st, where it was voted the Dream Big Champion for the month of December from the national audience, garnering the most votes over two other weekly winners, Drazil Foods and AlumaSki.

"Congratulations to Mark Moore and the MANA team!" said Doug Stephan, host of Dream Big America. "2013 was filled with some truly impressive entrepreneurs, and we're excited to see what the next year holds!" 

December's competition highlighted the Get In The Ring Competition: The American Startup Clash. Get In The Ring is a startup pitch competition founded by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. It has exploded in popularity in the United States and brings the world's most promising entrepreneurs together with those who can help them succeed and inspire others to start their entrepreneurial journeys. This month of Dream Big America featured 9 finalists and semifinalists from the American Get In The Ring Competition.

Dream Big America will kick-off 2014 with three new startup companies: DropShades, FanzLive and The Learning Project.

DropShades, from Fort Worth, Texas will be presented by co-founder Harrison Herndon. (www.GetDropShades.com). DropShades manufactures audio responsive glasses that cascade an array of LED lights up and down depending on the beat of the music.   

FanzLive, from St. Louis, Missouri will be presented by President Tim Murphy (www.FanzLive.com). FanzLive is a mobile application to support micro communities & engage fans built around live sport and music events.

The Language Project from Kansas City, Missouri will be presented by Chrystan Ferrell, the CEO and Co-Founder (www.LanguageProjectKids.com). The Language Project offers language acquisition programming to students 12 months-11 years old.

Dream Big America (www.DreamBigAmerica.us) airs each Tuesday at 9:10am to 9:40am EST on Doug Stephan's Good Day Program, syndicated to over 500 markets across the United States with a weekly listening audience of 3.5 million. In addition to being broadcast on the radio, the Dream Big America Show can be heard via live podcast on the DreamBigAmerica.us website.

Voting begins immediately after the show at 10:00am EST and continues for 28 hours until 2:00pm EST each Wednesday. Voting is by text (Text DBA to 612-22-DREAM (612-223-7326)) once voting is live or via the DreamBigAmerica.us website.

The Dream Big America Show features three entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas for two minutes each, followed by an expert panelist who offers feedback and suggestions. Tapping into the surging entrepreneurial movement spreading across the country, Dream Big America strives to educate and support startups, all while providing an exciting venue for America to choose which new businesses it wants to see hit the market.

Dream Big America partners with the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (www.kauffman.org) and its 1 Million Cups (www.1millioncups.com) startup education program, and the San Diego-based Nutritional Capital Network (www.nutritioncapital.com). Each organization supports the show by providing vetted startup ventures for consideration to the Dream Big America selection committee.

For more information about the Dream Big America competition or to schedule an interview with any of the Dream Big America participants please call Beth Chapman at 816.835.0306 or Email her.

Media Contacts:                                                                            

Beth Chapman, Dream Big America       
816.835.0306, Email

Barbara Pruitt, Kauffman Foundation  
816.932.1288, Email

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SOURCE Dream Big America