VACE Announces Award Winners, Launches Bootcamp 2.0

Earlier this month, 28 teams graduated from the Fall 2019 Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp.

The bootcamp, run by the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE) in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is a 14-week long intensive program where teams work through early business and revenue models, customer validation and refining pitches.

This year, the Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise co-sponsored the top six Bootcamp Finale Awards. The winners included:

  • first place and $2,000 - Lucra Machina​​;
  • second place and $1,500 - Seal the Deal;
  • third place and $1,000 - Celli Coping Kit;
  • fourth place and $800 - Bellamy Care Consultation;
  • fifth place and $700 - VaShaun Nicole Consulting; and
  • sixth place and $500 - Purplewood Farm.

Five Director’s Awards of $250 were also presented to teams who didn’t make the top six ranking but demonstrated true entrepreneurial spirit. These teams included College Way, Echo Notes, Fresh Eye Solutions, InvestUP and My Vocal Health.

“It’s been very gratifying this year to watch all these teams progress through the development of their ideas, as well as mature in their pitching skills and significantly increase the level of their overall business acumen,” Warren Nash, director of VACE, said.

During the graduation, VACE also announced the launch of Bootcamp 2.0. during Spring 2020. The program will be limited to the top 16 teams from the Fall Bootcamp. They were selected based on their overall performance during Bootcamp 1.0. Section criteria consisted of meeting bootcamp milestones and the team placement in Bootcamp finals.

The 16 teams that were selected for the VACE Bootcamp 2.0 are: Lucra Machina, Seal the Deal, Cellie Coping Kit, Bellamy Care Consultation, VaShaun N. Consulting, Purplewood Farm, College Way, Echo Notes, Fresh Eyes Solutions, InvestUp, My Vocal Health, Goddess Inc., Speaking My Language, Odyssey Sports, Vibrance and HO-MER.