Fifteen student startup companies are engaged in an intense summer program at the University of Utah’s Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business.
Each budding company applied and was admitted earlier this year to be startups-in-residence at Lassonde Studios, a large innovation and residence facility on campus. All the startups receive office space and many resources to work toward a wide variety of development and revenue goals.
“Over the last year, we have worked with hundreds of startups through our many programs, and our startups-in-residence this summer are some of the most impressive and promising,” said Troy D’Ambrosio, the executive director of the Lassonde Institute and an assistant dean at the David Eccles School of Business. “We look forward to seeing how they progress in the next few months as they receive many forms of support, including space, tools, mentorship and grants.”
The startups vary from beauty products and game-development studios to CAD consultants and healthcare devices. They have different goals for their work this summer, but they are all using resources provided by the Lassonde Institute to advance their ideas.
Item Rescue is one of the startups-in-residence at Lassonde Studios this summer. The young entrepreneurs have developed software for hotels and other companies to manage lost-and-found items.
“Item Rescue is all about making it easier for guests to get their items back and providing hotels an effective way to do it,” said Beau Buehler, the founder of Item Rescue, who graduated with an information systems degree in May. “It can be stressful to lose something of value, and a hotel that can turn that negative experience into a positive one will have more satisfied and loyal guests.”
Bushwhack is another startup-in-residence. Founder Chase McMicken invented a camping device that combines a tent, chair and hammock into one. The young company is refining its product’s design and working toward selling it.
“The ultimate goal would be an outdoor equipment company to create adaptive gear to be able to adventure without limits,” said McMicken, a double major in a double major in entrepreneurship and marketing.
The startups-in-residence at Lassonde Studios this summer are participating in one or more of three programs provided by the Lassonde Institute. Those programs are the Company Launch program, which provides startup support; Rush to Revenue, which drives teams toward revenue goals; and Summer Internships, which allows students to create their own internship experience by working for a startup.
Sponsors for these programs and activities include Zions Bank, Ballard Spahr, Workman Nydegger, Impact Hub and Samir Patel.
Here are the startups in residence at Lassonde Studios for this summer:
• BasicallYours is an organic beauty and body product company with an eco-friendly flair to it.
• Bitrageous’ mission is to entertain, educate and empower people through technology.
• Bushwhack is an outdoor equipment company currently working on a design called the TIO Tent, a revolutionary tent that combines a hammock, a tent and a chair all into one unit.
• Foster the Children is a benefit corporation dedicated to raising funds for children in foster care through marketing its designs on apparel.
• Gear Hold Technologies is a CAD services company that claims to keep industrial companies focused on their product, not their CAD.
• Item Rescue is a business software application targeted towards hotels with over 150 rooms. The system streamlines the lost-and-found process, saves hotel staff time and increases guest satisfaction.
• MounTins partners with 20 restaurants in the Park City area and features them in a promotional package.
• Nebucore was founded in 2015 and is a SaaS-model enterprise resource planning (ERP) company focused on wholesale distribution and e-commerce industries.
• New Breath has developed a superior laryngoscope solution using computer vision and doctor-friendly design.
• SDG Footwear is a minimalistic shoe company tasked with aiding the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals with shoe designs to benefit a sub-group of one of the 17 goals.
• SecondSole wants to eliminate the problem of one shoe wearing down faster than the other while skateboarding and foot braking with a cover for the bottom of the braking foot.
• Sit Up is developing an air-filled, adjustable remote-control bed pad that can lift and lower a person while they’re lying in bed.
• Sole Case Displays’ mission is to be the leading provider of premium footwear displays and create a brand that positively contributes to fashion and society.
• Thoreau Living is a real estate development startup that seeks to create affordable, sustainable living spaces for communities by harnessing technology and simple living principles.
• Venture Roots is an alumni engagement and investment platform designed to strengthen startup ecosystems at top universities.