Preparing the Shark Tub
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Muskingum County Business Incubator will be giving people $100,000; of play money that is.
M.C.B.I. is holding their annual Shark Tub event and this year will be full of firsts. The event will start in Ohio University Zanesville and Zane State College’s Littick Gymnasium. Executive Director Larry Triplett said everyone will be given $100,000 in play money at the door and they’ll be able to invest that money on the participants business ideas.
“Then at 7:30 p.m. all the money is tallied up and the top three companies will come over here to the Campus Center, where it will be in auditorium style and there will be five sharks and it will be just like Shark Tank,” Goodyear said. “The Sharks have $10,000 of real money to award to one entrepreneur.”
This years sharks are Bill Straker, Ryan Dodson, Karl Saunders, Francine Swiger, and Aaron Spragg. Triplett said the audience members will help the five sharks decide on a winner by texting their vote. The sharks will have access to the voting poll during their decision-making process.
“When you really trace back any business, any for profit business and you trace its roots all the way back,” Triplett said. “There was an entrepreneur and that’s really what drives our economy and if we can embrace entrepreneurship and grow entrepreneurship in our area we can actually grow our economy.”
The sharks are leaders, owners, and management members for local businesses. This years Shark Tub will be held from 5:45 p.m. until about 10:00 p.m. on March 2, 2017.
Triplett has been acting as the interim executive director while looking for a replacement. Following the 2017 Shark Tub event he’ll be stepping down from his position.
“We have a new director who will be introduced to the public at the night of the Shark Tub, his name is David McCarley and he’s been with us for about 45 days,” Triplett said. “He’s actually out right now gathering up somethings for Shark Tub.”
Upon Triplett’s retirement McCarley will take full charge of the position within a few short weeks.
