UNA Students Pitch Innovative Ideas to Local Investors

Mar. 5, 2015



FLORENCE, Ala. – Thirty five students representing all four colleges at the University of North Alabama participated in UNA’s 3 Day Startup Feb. 27- March 1. The event, sponsored by Charleston Laboratories, Inc., was a learning-by-doing campus workshop that taught entrepreneurial skills to university students in an extreme hands-on environment. The idea is simple: start a company over the course of three days. 

The six companies that were formed over the weekend presented to a panel of business leaders as the final part of the event. Each team gave a five minute presentation followed by a short Q&A session. The teams each had the task of creating a company name, identifying a problem and presenting their solution to the problem. The teams were as follows: 

  • Smith Enterprises: A roofing and construction company that improves safety of roof inspections by using drones.
  • IT Geex: An on campus, college budget friendly, tech support business that provides 24/7 access to technical support in the form of real life assistance from peers.
  • Footprints: A social media app/website duo that uses local tour guides, families, and fellow travelers to provide users with an authentic travel experience.
  • StartSmart: A website/app that connects high school seniors and current college students with pre-selected mentors from esteemed colleges/programs across the country to navigate the difficult decision of selecting a major by providing counseling sessions.
  • T3 Biodynamics: A company focused on amateur athletic excellence that takes performance based simulation and provides real time feedback to the athlete that can lead to improved results.
  • Recruit Group: A company that simplifies the hiring process combining custom testing with resume analysis to select potential applicants for the hiring process with the benefit of reduced time and increased success. .


During the weekend, over 20 local business people and faculty attended as mentors to the student led companies. The students prepared an investment level pitch and presented to a panel of five industry leaders composed of Joel Anderson, Ryan Baker, Sherri Stout Boyle, Joe Fields and Ron Wicks.

Dr. Gregory Carnes, Dean of the UNA’s College of Business, hosted the event and said the event was positively received by the students, mentors and panelists. “We are excited for the students and the companies they are forming. 3 Day Startup is one part of the Total Student Experience that we offer at UNA’s College of Business. Our goal is that each student knows how to form ideas into companies that could be their own or their employer,” he said.

3 Day Startup has already conducted 132 events at 60 schools across five continents that launched 70 companies with over $49 million of investment. The goal for 3 Day Startup is to kick start new student-run companies and build entrepreneurial capabilities in students and their university communities.

For more information: una.3daystartup.org, or www.una.edu/business .