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Sneakers, music aid and a special kind of bolo tie among eGames undergraduate winners

Poole College undergraduate students were among three of the winning ventures presented to judges at NC State’s eGames on April 24, hosted by the Entrepreneurship Initiative.

InstaSneaks

This product serves to form an online community around sneakers, built on a mobile platform with features and functionality tailored to a specifically branded niche audience of users, said team member Kyle Linton, senior in business administration who joined fellow student Chisom Anen on the InstaSneaks team this past year. The purpose of the application is to allow users to buy, sell, and trade shoes of collector or limited edition quality, with online shoe posting section that allows users to create listings in a safe, effective, and low-cost method. Linton is from Black Mountain, N.C.

Survivor Bolo

Thomas ‘Shep´ Bryan, a senior in marketing with a minor in arts entrepreneurship, said he came up with the ideas for a multi-functional bolo tie because “I wear them around a lot and my design mind is constantly trying to improve the way things look and function. I wondered what other functions I could add to the basic sliding functionality of the traditional bolo tie, and I ended up with the Survivor Bolo, a bolo tie designed for outdoor enthusiasts.”
The tie features a compass medallion, with an emergency whistle molded into the compass casing. On the back of the medallion is a signal mirror and a compartment for iodine tablets, bandaids, or something similar, and the bolo cord is made of paracord. “But the best part is the set of bolo tips that this tie will come with,” he said. “One tip is a flint-magnesium fire starter and the other is a steel striker. With the Survivor Bolo on, outdoor adventurers can go out in the wild and survive in style, with several critical survival tools always within arm’s reach. Bryan transferred to NC State as a junior and expects to graduate in December. His home town is Greensboro, N.C.

The Handstand

Michael Meglin, a sophomore in accounting, said he began working on The Handstand during the fall semester of 2013 when enrolled in the College of Design’s practical arts entrepreneurship (EMA 370) course. “The professor, Dr. Gary Beckman, assigned us to create a venture relating to the arts. My only connection to the arts at the time was through my guitar, so naturally my thoughts ended up around playing it. I started to think about what was missing during my playing experiences and ways that I could improve the experience for others as well.”

When learning a new song, Meglin said he would “look at tabs online and a chord cheat sheet to help me remember how to correctly position my fingers when strumming, but I was always stuck in my room whenever I wanted to learn. I started to think of how nice it would be to have the option of viewing these guides in a hands-free way” that he could take anywhere. Before long he conceptualized a design that he proposed to his professor.

“He not only approved the idea for the project, but had an interest in seeing me make it a reality. After an enlightening semester in EMA 370, complete with a feasibility study, several elevator pitches, class collaborations, and the input of Dr. Beckman, the Handstand has turned into what it is today. The next steps for the Handstand include finishing a prototype, patenting, and ultimately licensing the concept to a music stand or accessories company."

The Handstand is a miniaturized music stand that can be attached to flat surfaces using industrial strength suction. With two interchangeable options, users can switch between using a collapsible music stand head that serves to secure paper-based guides and an electronic mount for more modern guides.

Meglin and his family moved to Wilmington, N.C. when he was three and he considers it his hometown.