University of Colorado Denver Business School, offering Bachelor, MBA, MS, and PhD degrees

There was a first at this year's competition: Two companies shared first place.

Co-First Place: AppIt Ventures
Rob Carpenter and Jeff Macco
For entrepreneurs who need an affordable app developed, AppIt Ventures is a mobile app developer that provides a low-cost and easy solution to turn app ideas into reality. AppIt Ventures uses post-launch marketing strategies to increase sales and leverages an innovative revenue-sharing model that keeps its client costs low and ensures aligned interests for its client’s long-term success.

Co-First Place: Beautifuli.com, LLC
Denise Horton
Beautifuli.com will be the leading online retailer for eco-luxury fashion, beauty, gifts and home. Representing the world's rising stars of eco-design, it will change the way women shop for lifestyle products.

Third Place: Empire Bagels, LLC
Joshua Pollack
Empire Bagels, LLC is an authentic bagel store in Denver, Colorado that specializes in the best New York City-style bagels outside of the tri-state area. Our bagels are prepared using traditional New York City methods paired with the finest local and natural ingredients and specially replicated New York City water. We serve fast, fresh, hot or cold bagel sandwiches, bagels by the dozen, in addition to gourmet smoked fish, house-made spreads, and high-end coffee products.

Finalist: Blue Sun Restaurant
Jeremy McKenna, Jay Newman and Jake Silcott
Blue Sun Restaurant will be the first and only restaurant in the Denver area in which all vegan and vegetarian ingredients and dishes will be stored, prepared, and served on separate equipment from meat and dairy items. This concept will provide the Denver area with a restaurant concept that allows vegans and vegetarians to dine with their friends and family who eat meat, knowing their food is free from cross-contamination with meat and dairy.

FInalist: Clean Sling, LLC
Justin Vicory and Bobby Brunnemer
Clean Sling, LLC gives guitar owners their best option yet for a product that protects and cleans, while also having options to carry their guitars. Currently, there are no other products that can match up with the Clean Sling product line in terms of cost, effectiveness and convenience for the consumer.

DiningEvo
Seth Glaze, Gabe Sellars and Todd Stoltenberg

DiningEvo is evolving the service industry by utilizing a mobile platform that gives users more control over the entire dining process, including tools to decide where and what to eat, mobile device ordering, and the ability to stay engaged with the restaurant after they leave.

Two Sisters, Inc.
Alexandra Antonioli
Two Sisters, Inc. is first to use sports bras to both educate and empower women to take control of their health. Two Sisters will sell bras and other undergarments with educational information imprinted on them including common breast cancer facts and tumor locations. A woman in the U.S. will purchase one bra and Two Sisters will donate as well as educate a woman in need in a third world nation. Two Sisters is a novel, highly directed approach to bringing early awareness and factual information regarding breast cancer to women across the world using a garment that they can wear daily.

First Place: Viktorian Guitars
Josh Jacobson
Viktorian Guitars, a Denver-based maker of composite electric guitars, received the $10,000 first prize.  Viktorian Guitars is the first company to bring to market a 100 percent carbon-fiber electric guitar. Viktorian offers guitar players and musical instrument dealers a line of electric guitar models that have superior acoustics, are ultra-lightweight, nearly maintenance free, and virtually indestructible.

Second Place:  Microscopy Learning Systems
Mathew Traylor, Dr. Allison Traylor, DVM
Microscopy Learning Systems provides an advanced virtual microscope, integrated learning management system, and proprietary database of digitized slide images for use in veterinary education at both the university and continuing education levels. 

Third Place:  RoomCycles
JC Buck
RoomCycle is a Denver-based start-up company that will specialize in the customization of branded bicycle fleets dedicated to the hospitality industry. RoomCycle’s bicycle fleet offering will serve as a mobile advertising tool and value-added service amenity for hotel customers.

Finalist: Clubhouse Executive Coaches
Joshua Osborne
Clubhouse Executive Coaches provides convenient, luxury-motorcoach transportation for business executives commuting to downtown Denver from their private communities in the Denver suburbs. Clubhouse Executive Coaches’ mission is simple: “We will get you to work in peace.”

Finalist: The Ski Lift
Rich Masana, Michael Hurowitz, Cabell Hodge, Paul Richard
The SkiLift.org provides people with a way to meet each other and organize rides to ski mountains around the world.  The site's social network and rideshare are specifically designed for skiers/snowboarders and include a number of other features that enhance the skiing experience. 

Finalist: Vanguard Medical Systems
Josh Bratton
Vanguard Medical Systems, LLC is a medical device company engaged in the development and commercialization of an advanced Deep Brain Stimulation system for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and other brain disorders.

First Place: caraSolva
(First prize through the Rutt Bridges Venture Capital Fund + Awards from UMB and Best Healthcare award sponsored by Humana)

CaraSolva provides cost effective point of care solutions for out of hospital care. The simple, cost effective and secure web-based system provides caregivers in long-term care facilities, assisted living, hospices, host homes, aging in place and group homes more time to do what they do best—take care of people.

Second Place: Urgent Rx/Breakthrough Products

UrgentRx will be the first company to develop and market credit card-sized single dose medications to treat common medical emergencies (i.e.: heart attacks, allergic reactions to food or insect bites, migraines, diarrhea, pain, etc.). These “medication cards” are designed to fit unobtrusively into the consumer’s wallet, so they have such medicines on hand in the event of such a medical emergency.

Third Place: Diego Zhang’s Burger Café

Dianna Williams and Martin Stone

Diego Zhang’s offers exceptional, unique, “real” food in a stylish eco-friendly atmosphere with gracious, efficient, and professional service. At Diego Zhang’s the common burger is transformed into a fantastic, memorable taste experience from traditional to ethnic, prepared by blending the spices and toppings into made-to-order, three ounce mini-burgers.

Finalist: ePRepSolutions, LL
Matthew Hickey, John Hickey, Jamie Sabbach, and Brian Wilkerson

ePRepSolutions offers business processes and “patent-pending” software applications that allow organizations to make their service philosophy and community priorities match up with their fiscal reality. It helps organizations determine where best to allocate the public’s money based on criteria such as impact, communities served, ability of the target population to pay, and others.

Finalist: Physical Activity Innovations

Tom Pritchett, Raymond Browning, James Hill, and Edward Sazonov

Physical Activity Innovations, LLC, is developing unique, footwear-based systems that will motivate users to increase their daily physical activity, lose excess weight, and maintain that weight loss over time. The first product in development, the Fit Companion, utilizes an unobtrusive and comfortable insert that can be mounted in any shoe.

Finalist: Shelter-Me Photography and Best nonprofit
(Award donated by Peter Mannetti & Ruth Krebs and Thomas and Judy Ward)
Nanette Martin, Maribeth Hite, Pam Alford, Sonja Andreasson, and Laura Oldham

Shelter-Me Photography, Inc. (SMP) is a charitable, 501(c)3, nonprofit organization that facilitates and accelerates the adoption process for homeless animals by offering free, professional photography services to animal adoption agencies throughout the United States. SMP is the only known professional photography organization in Colorado (and perhaps the United States) that provides this service.

First Place: OLOMOMO NUT COMPANY Justin Perkins, Peter Genuardi

Olomomo Nut Company aspires to be the foremost high-end, all natural and organic nut brand with its kettle-roasted nuts, coated with original and unexpected exotic spices and flavor blends. Olomomo will initially distribute through specialty coffee shops across America to conscious consumers who crave quality, delicious, high-protein, socially responsible products. Perkins graduated in 2003 from an 11-month MBA program at the University of Colorado Denver's business school.

Second  Place: THE ORGANIC DISH Beckie and Toby Hemmerling

The Organic Dish makes pre-assembled, frozen meals using organic and farm-fresh ingredients for busy families and professionals. Customers may either buy meals at The Organic Dish’s kitchen in Boulder, or order online with an option for home or office delivery within the Denver Metro area. The Company focuses on catering to individuals and families who struggle to balance healthy eating at home and work with busy lives.

Third Place: VIBRALUNG, INC. Art Hughes, Jim Medford, Jon Wallace
Best Bioscience Price Winner

VibraLung, Inc. is a biomedical device company with a proprietary airway clearance device for treating patients with phlegm producing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Their product, VibraLung Advanced Acoustic Airway Clearance Percussor, will aid in phlegm removal, and thus mitigate both secondary infections and primary disease progression.

Finalist: GLOBAL CAFÉNATION Jake Sager, Nichole Parker Global
Best Non-profit and Best International Prize winn

er

Ca

féNation seeks to provide a sustainable solution to alleviate poverty and stimulate economic development in Tanzania through the direct trade of Tanzanian coffee and artisan goods in the United States. Profits from the sale of these products will compensate coffee growers and artisans, as well as sponsor children through secondary education in Tanzania.

Finalist: WESTERN STATES BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Michael J. Reilly, Carl K. Edwards, PhD

Western States Biopharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Through the development of novel drug therapies, the Company has created a treatment that blocks the part of the immune system attacking the body while also allowing the body to fight infection.

Finalist: ALSO ENERGY, Robert Schaefer, Holden Caine

Also Energy develops and maintains portfolios of mini solar electricity utilities for a target market of building owners and occupants in Colorado. Their first portfolio, Solar Power Pack One, consists of one megawatt of photovoltaic systems installed in Colorado. The customers pay for the electricity the system generates while Also Energy partners with Colorado electric integrators for design and installation, and performs system maintenance.

1st Place: DEVELOPING MINDS SOFTWARE, Dawn & Mason Gregg, Michael Erskine, Colette Hanley, Lynn Sargent

Developing Minds Software offers unique web-based software services designed to address the needs of families and educational institutions challenged with serving the developmentally disabled. Their product, DDtrac, is a Web 2.0 application that allows for the efficient capture and analysis of special education data. Developing Minds Software co-founders include Lynn Sargent, Colette Hanley and Michael Erskine, all students at the UC Denver Business School, and Dawn Gregg, an assistant professor of information systems at the same school.

2nd Place: GOBAI-CULTURALLY INSPIRED CUISINE, Kaidan Nguyen

Gobai will create fresh and healthy Vietnamese-inspired dishes made with quality ingredients that are fresh from local farms to the customer’s plate. Gobai is designed to reawaken the fast casual restaurant industry with recipes that are nutritious and eclectic, that is served with the speed of traditional fast-food restaurants.

3rd Place: SNOASIS MEDICAL INC., Robert Tofe

Snoasis Medical is a medical device company developing regenerative products for use in dental surgery. This includes membranes composed of placental tissue and a wound healing agent derived from recently expired human banked blood. All of the products are expected to offer significant advantages over current treatment options.

Finalist: HEALTHY TRAVELS, Raj Joseph & Best International Award

Healthy Travels is a global healthcare service enabler that offers a comprehensive medical tourist solution by providing a premier healthcare experience outside of the United States coupled with unique first class travel opportunities during the recuperation and recovery phase.

Finalist: ROBOTICS ASSISTED GAIT TRAINING, Timothy S. Nicklas & Best Nonprofit Award

Robotics Assisted Gait Training is a nonprofit business plan for installing and operating a system that provides rigorous, customized, and monitored gait training utilizing modern technology that implements tried and trued therapies for patients with gait impairment.

Finalist: TISSUE GENETICS, Jeffrey Holt, M.D., James Bowman, Kimberly Gibson, Vanessa Clark & Best Bioscience Award

Tissue Genetics is a biomedical diagnostic company that identifies patients with genetic diseases, helping to determine their optimum course of care. Their novel diagnostic kits will establish a new paradigm for screening for hereditary diseases.

First Place: Apex Design, Nate Algoe, Jason Osaki, & Scott Thomas
Apex Design, PC is a transportation engineering consulting firm. The firm provides services to the Intelligent Transportation Systems market. Their customers include public sector transportation agencies, private industry developers and other consulting firms.

Second Place: Dizgo, Jeffrey Kohn, Tomas Kaplan, Jeff Cahoon
Dizgo provides a novel form of mobile-based advertising for brick and mortar retailers. Using standard text messaging (SMS) technology, consumers in a shopping district can instantly locate discounts for the products and services they want to purchase. Shoppers send a short text message to DIZGO with the product or service keyword they are looking for and within seconds Dizgo will return a list of discount offers from retailers in the immediate area.

Third Place and Best Bioscience Award: ValveXchange, Ivan Vesely, Ph.D.
ValveXchange is a medical device company developing a two-part heart valve consisting of a surgically implanted base and an exchangeable bio-prosthetic tissue leaflet set. They provide a lifetime tissue valve replacement system that does not require use of anticoagulation drugs.

Finalist: DenverVIP.com, Tyler Murphy, Dan Kuhl
Founded in 2004, DenverVIP.com is Denver’s newest online Luxury Lifestyle Concierge Company directly targeting corporate clients, residents of all ages, and travelers looking to experience the best of Denver and Colorado. DenverVIP.com markets high quality experiences and exclusive product offerings to target clients on behalf of the company’s business clients.

Finalist: Red Rocks Motion Pictures International, William Brown, Frederic Lahey, Charles Collier
Red Rocks Motion Pictures International was formed to produce six pictures over twelve years. The company’s primary mission is to create entertaining pictures while offering new perspectives on filmmaking and current events. The twelve films included in the proposed portfolio will create diverse content to adapt to the unpredictable and volatile viewing habits of the movie-going public.

Finalist: VenueJet, Chanpheng Botham & Alex Botham
VenueJet is an online event-site search directory with advanced filter operations allowing consumers to quickly discover the perfect locale for any personal or business event. This new marketplace will maximize occupancy rates for participating facilities and provide an improved user-experience for consumers.

First Place: Tensegrity Prosthetics, Jerome Rifkin
 
Tensegrity Prosthetics, Inc. has created the first major technological advancement for prosthetic feet in the past 25 years. The company will initially manufacture the product while it builds a distribution network through prosthetists and distributors. Tensegrity has created a working prototype of its first product, called “The Liberator,” which incorporates information that details the complex workings of the human foot.
 
Second Place: Apropos Magazine
 
Apropos Magazine’s mission is to provide the knowledge that powers today’s woman. It represents a lifestyle and toolkit type of publication for the single woman, between 25-44. The magazine presents facts, information and instructional content covering a variety of topics including technology, home and car care and repair, finance, career and much more. Apropos will fill an existing gap in the magazine industry for addressing how single women can learn how to take care of themselves financially and become successful.
 
Third Place: Bright Light Innovations
 
Bright Light Innovations will develop and distribute improved cook stoves that will produce electricity for home use while also reducing biomass consumption by 70%. The initial product, The Starlight Stove, utilizes a thermo-electric generator to convert heat from the stove into electricity, which can then be used for lighting or stored in a battery and used at a later time.
 
Finalist: Cosotec
 
Cosotec, which stands for collegiate social technologies, is a nonprofit, membership-based association which promotes university-community partnerships to develop technologies for the needy. Science, engineering, and business students from universities across the country will apply their education through intergrated project teams to solve real-world problems based on technology solutions for needy clients. Cosotec facilitates this process by providing services to make the university collaborative work efficient and effectively.
 
Finalist: Rocky Mountain Forest Fuel Inc.
 
Rocky Mountain Forest Fuel Inc. seeks to provide a cost effective and environmentally friendly heating source to homes and businesses. The result will be to lessen the monetary burden of rising energy prices while simultaneously assisting the federal government in keeping forests healthy and in utilizing forest thinning byproducts such as wood pellets for stoves and fuel.
 
Finalist: Progressive Health Center
 
Progressive Health Center (PHC), a Colorado non-profit corporation, will offer patients with neurological disorders the highest caliber services from complementary and holistic practitioners who are able to integrate their treatment with conventional medical treatments. The company will provide low-cost or no-cost complementary medicine to people suffering from neurological diseases. 

First Place and Best Nonprofit Award: Journey of Life Meetinghouse
Team Leader: Tiffany Espinosa

Journey of Life Meetinghouse (JLM) is a nonprofit enrichment, activity and care center for seniors who would like to be involved in a safe, supportive community. The JLM works with clients who are functionally healthy and who either live on their own or with family members by providing daily transportation to the facility for full-service clinic needs, educational seminars, social activities, meals, and more.

Second Place and Best Bioscience Award: BP Proteomics, Inc.
Team Leaders: Catherine Kunst, Millard Cull

BP Proteomics will develop cutting-edge biotechnology to enable a new generation of diagnostic devices called protein microarrays. Protein Microarrays are a way of miniaturizing and multiplexing hundreds of diagnostic tests into a single test that can be carried out on a one inch by three inch microscope slide

Third Place: Ventless Combustion & Energy (VC&E) Corporation
Team Leader: Stanley Sanchez

VC & E Corp. is the sole provider of the zero-emissions Ventless Combustion System (VCS). The VCS is a patented assembly of proven mechanical and electronic systems organized to use organic wastes and fuel to generate electricity without air emissions or producing other waste products. It also produces thermal energy, construction minerals and hydrogen fuel.

Finalist: AirTravelerBAGXpress, Inc.
Team Leaders: Patricia Kurgan, Robert Sperling

AirTravelerBAGXpress is a service company focused on offering airline vacation travelers pre-shipping of their luggage. The company will offer resident pickup, intercity transport and delivery through a ground based system using trucks between cities, and air freight as back

up.

Finalist: Res

ume Rooster
Team Leaders: Christopher Campanile, Thomas Marshello, Charles B. Carr

Resume Rooster offers both entry-level personnel and staffing firms an automated, one-stop, resume writing and job hunting process that is easy to use and affordable. Resume Rooster also provides assistance with posting their customer’s resume to top job seeking websites such as Monster.com, Career Builder, and Hot Jobs.

Finalist: Voicestra
Team Leaders: Jeffrey Kohn, Tomas Kaplan, Mark Lohman

Voicestra is focused on developing technology-driven learning systems for offshore call center agents. Through a proprietary technology called “Voice Alignment” Voicestra constantly evaluates the user’s speech and produces specific real-time feedback that molds their voice to the desired result.

First Place: MetroBoom. Jung Park

MetroBoom is a full-service premier style salon exclusively for men. It will provide a wide range of hair care, fashion, grooming services and products for men looking for the latest trends in fashion.

Second Place and Best Bioscience Award: Sterisil, Craig Hofmeister

Steris

il provides water purification systems to the dental industry. Sterisil’s silver ion based disinfection products change the way dental water is purified and provides dentists with simple and cost effective means in treating dental unit water lines.

, John Neswadi and Kal Rucker

ProDeuce has developed the prototype for a transaction-driven, consumer, and store specific shopping guide. Named SlickList, this customized shopping guide makes shopping easier for the consumer and marketing more effective for grocers and product manufacturers.

Finalist: Peak 360, Gary Fr

iedman

Peak 360 is a commercial insurance brokerage firm employing proprietary risk management solutions and techniques to help Colorado companies reduce their insurance costs. Peak 360’s proprietary tools help companies better understand and manage the unique risks they face while making more efficient and effective insurance decisions.

Finalist: Sawatch Enterprises, LLC, John Griffin and Mark Richter

Sawatch Enterprises will develop novel diagnostics based on emerging technologies that are rapid, quantitative, non-invasive, and cost effective. Its initial product is a non-invasive assay for the diagnosis and long term monitoring of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Finalist: Trasona Pharmaceuticals, Kevin Schmidt

Through the creation of a new therapeutic franchise founded on the pharmaceutical manipulation of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), Trasona Pharmaceuticals will enhance the current standard of care in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine. Trasona will offer safe interventions of the highest quality to improve the clinical outcomes in critically ill patients.

First Place: Revolution Motor, Stephen Katsaros
Revolution Motor (RevoPower) is a patented self-contained motor that fits onto a bicycle hub. It can be fitted to most bikes and the motor powers a standard bicycle to 25 mph.
Second Place: 2paw Software, Michael Byrne
2paw Software is a software consulting company operating in the Denver area. It develops custom software applications for small businesses which solve a variety of business challenges ranging from company payroll to online medical claims.
Third Place: Driveway Angel, Samuel Gilliss
Driveway Angel will provide customers with an affordable driveway hazard detection aid through a new video camera system that allows a driver to detect hazards before backing out of the garage.
Finalist: CeraPedics, Robert Tofe
In the rapidly growing field of osteobiologics (products used in conjunction with or as an alternative to autograft bone), CeraPedics offers one of the most promising and cost effective new technologies for repair and regeneration of bone.
Finalist: El Cart – El Enterprises (ECE), Scott Ford, Sharalyn Root, Todd Fiore, Justin Perkins, Mark Rubenstein
ECE is developing a low-cost GoTaco! cart franchise business. ECE plans to create, market, and sell cart franchises in all major cities within the U.S., initially operating in the Denver metro area.
Finalist: ExtremeDrive Adventures, Brian Wilson amd Tim Heath
ExtremeDrive is a travel services alliance for the adventure travel market. The company will use its competitive advantage to create marketing and technology leverage over the fragmented adventure travel industry.

First Place: The Manor at Castle Pines, Jim Christopherson
The Manor at Castle Pines will be a large and beautiful event center whose design, layout, ambiance and business model all cater to couples that desire a captivating facility in which they create their dream wedding.
Second Place: Provisions Specialty Market, Maureen Lawer
Provisions will offer downtown Denver residents a more complete and enjoyable food shopping experience with a broad base of specialty and basic food items.
Third Place: EZPark, Scott Beckley, Bob Tettero, Alicia Linares
EZPark is a fast and convenient method of paying for metered parking with your cell phone. It is a cashless service that allows payment for parking with the security of your credit card.
Finalist: Pet Gear, Inc, Scott Sherman, Tonya Peck
Pet Gear is a premier pet supply store that provides customers with superior service and the highest quality product. Promoting an active healthy quality of life through offering natural/human grade foods, accessories and appealing retail atmosphere.
Finalist: Customer Connections & Innovations, Inc, Amy Deitemeyer
CCI is a custom research company specializing in customer satisfaction analysis. CCI is a link for companies to stay connected to their customers though customized customer satisfaction programs.
Finalist: The Seventh Inning Sports Grill, Michael Bradley
The Seventh Inning Sports Grill will be the premier South-Denver area location to watch a sporting event in a 100% non-smoking environment.