MCBI Hosts 3rd Annual “Shark Tub”
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — The Muskingum County Business Incubator hosted it’s 3rd Annual “Shark Tub” competition tonight at Littick Hall.
Local entrepreneurs competed for investments from community members for a chance to present their business plan to five of the areas most successful business-people.
“It’s an event where we bring in a number of entrepreneurs, tonight we have 18, and we send in the public with $100K each of play money to invest in each one of the companies. And then the top three companies with the most money go in front of our panel of sharks,” explained MCBI Executive Director David McCarley.
The panel of “sharks” tonight included Bill Straker, whom some refer to as “the Father of Entrepreneurship” due to his success in the oil well industry; Ryan Dodson, founder of American Power Equipment– the largest power equipment supplier in the Midwest; Karl Saunders, M.D., of Northpointe Surgical Suites; Francine Swiger, who enjoyed a long career with Huntington Bank and now sits on the Zane State College Board of Directors; and Aaron Spragg, Founder and CEO of Storied Rivals Sports Media, LLC.
And while the event is an opportunity for the companies to show off their businesses, McCarley adds that it’s the lasting impact that entrepreneurship can have on the local community that makes the night special.
“We really couldn’t do this without the public, because obviously they’re doing the voting and they also supply the money for the rewards. But the support that they give as well shows the people who are starting businesses that it really is something that the community values. And if we can build jobs that are going to be long lasting from these companies that of course is a humongous benefit to the community. ”
The three finalists were “Casmhere & Twig”, “Jennings Java”, and “Gone to the Dogs” after receiving the most invested money from community members. “Gone to the Dogs” were voted the winners and received a $7,400 investment from the sharks. The remaining $2,600 was split evenly between “Cashmere & Twig” and “Jennings Java.”
