After starting with over 100 teams, our pool of 500 judges have selected the top teams in each track. 

• Educational Energy Solutions - Educational Energy Solutions provides crowd-sourced funding for energy efficiency improvements in K-12 schools.     
• Team Leader: Justin Ong, Nicholas School of the Environment 2014, justin.ong@duke.edu 
• Team:Sidharth Sharma, Nicholas School, May 2014, sidharth.sharma@duke.edu
• Justin Ong, Nicholas School, May 2014, justin.ong@duke.edu
• Drew Howard, Nicholas School, May 2014, drew.howard@duke.edu

• Hybrid Conversion Kits for Scooters - The proposal is to produce hybrid conversion kits — at a retail cost of $200 each — for India’s crop of scooters, which make up a significant portion of the 15 million a year, two-wheeled vehicles that pour onto the market. The plan has the potential to halve each scooter’s rest-of-life running costs. If applied to one percent of the 14 million scooters sold in India between 2009 and 2012, it could cut CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons and save 6 million gallons of fuel, 70 percent of it imported. This idea could also be implemented in other developing countries like Brazil and China where two wheelers make up a significant amount of the vehicle population. 
• Team Leader: Meyyappan Hari Sathappan Ravi, Pratt - MEMP 2013, ms492@duke.edu 

• POWERTRENZ - The world needs clean energy and we intend to become a leading provider of energy by placing solar electric generation on every house in America.  By combining existing solar technologies and market needs for homeowners, we can provide supplemental electrical solar power energy at competitive costs with local providers without having to invest in infrastructure.  By solving the the major problems with Solar through a holistic approach, serving the customer, and providing top line solutions and technology, we can provide solar roofing systems that will supplement electrical energy from traditional sources and become the household supplier of electricity.     
• Team Leader: peter crayton, Fuqua - EMBA (CC, GEMBA, WEMBA) 2013, peter.crayton@fuqua.duke.edu
• Team:Marcelo Carioni, EMBA Fuqua, 2013
• Herve Buffard, EMBA Fuqua, 2013
• Soms Rajakumarvadival, EMBA Fuqua, 2013

• Refrackt - Hydraulic fracturing (colloquially known as fracking) is the process that gas companies have been using to extract oil and natural gas from “tight” reservoirs, and it has been a primary driver of North America’s recent natural gas boom. Despite the boon that hydraulic fracturing technology represents for the US’s slowly recovering economy, there are many opponents to its use. A large point of contention between industry and local communities are the environmental concerns related to water consumption and contamination. The hydro-fracture process is extremely water intensive, consuming up to 5,000,000 gallons of freshwater per well (FracFocus, 2012). On top of that, the gas and oil plays where hydraulic fracturing is used are often in regions already under severe water stress (i.e. the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas). To make matters worse, the water used in fractured wells is mixed with harmful chemicals, which optimize the number of fractures created and held open but present a challenge for disposal. Currently, the options for separating chemicals after the completion of a well can be costly and above-ground storage or transport represents a risk for leaks and spills. Even with the host of challenges and questions that surround water and hydro-fracturing, the industry has been moving forward at a blistering pace. One estimate mentioned that there are roughly 11,400 wells that use hydraulic fracturing each year in the United States (Ehrenberg, 2012). These numbers are likely to rise as states that initially abstained from allowing the process begin to sort out their regulations and join the fray. Each well that is drilled represents a potential for Refrackt to have a positive economic and environmental impact. Refrackt offers a clear solution to many of the water issues that are posed by the oil and gas industry. Using vacuum membrane distillation technology we will be able to safely and economically separate the water from the dissolved solids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and organic compounds onsite. Our mobile system will provide drillers with the ability to clean their water onsite and either recycle it to cut costs or release it back into the municipal water system.     
• Team Leader: Daniel Chow, Nicholas School of the Environment 2014, daniel.chow@duke.edu 
• Team:Judith Winglee, Pratt School of Engineering 2016, judith.winglee@gmail.com
• Daniel Chow, Nicholas School of the Environment, 2014, daniel.chow@duke.edu
• Mark Panny, Nicholas School of the Environment, 2014, mark.panny@duke.edu
• Victor Smith, Nicholas School of the Environment, 2014, victor.smith@duke.edu

• Shamsi - Over 1.3 billion people, or about 20% of the entire population of the world, currently live without access to electricity i.e. no grid connectivity. Another 1 billion have access to the grid, but suffer massive brownouts and blackouts due to supply shortfalls. Lack of access to electricity and other modern energy sources/services presents a major challenge to poverty alleviation. Besides depriving these populations of basic amenities like, lighting, cooling, heating etc., this also contributes adversely to their health. To deliver universal access to electricity by 2030, the World Bank estimates that capital investment of $35-40 billion per year is required, on top of the yearly investment of $450 billion necessary to sustain energy supply at current levels. Enter Shamsi: using ultra-high efficiency, patented High-Concentrated Photo Voltaic (HCPV) technology, we plan to create a micro-grid generation business, which will install small-scale power-plants, capable of meeting power demands at the local level. Unlike most renewable solutions, Shamsi’s solution is market competitive and will supply electricity at least at parity with existing solutions, thereby making it commercially feasible. In most cases we anticipate to produce and supply electricity at a much lower cost than existing sources. Additionally Shamsi’s solution is well suited to work in most of the developing world, including South Asia, Africa and Latin America and other areas with high Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI). As most of the people without access to electricity live in developing countries, such massive capital investment is not feasible due to multiple reasons. Firstly, most of these countries have flagging economies, incapable of making such huge investments. Secondly, private entities do not invest in these countries due to the prohibitive risk and cost of debt associated with such investments. The micro-grid model will solve several problems encountered by traditional generation. Firstly, the micro-grid approach of Shamsi will do away with the need for massive financing and individual projects could be financed viably. Secondly, the issue of collections will be solved due to the pre-paid nature of sales. Above all this model would diversify the risk across several projects, thereby reducing the overall risk of the company.     
• Team Leader: Muhammad Anwar Ul Haq, Pratt - MEMP 2013, muhammad.anwar@duke.edu 
• Team: Muhammad Anwar Ul Haq, Pratt MEMP, 2013, muhammad.anwar@duke.edu
• Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhary, UPenn Fels Institute of Government, 2013, ahmadch@sas.upenn.edu
• Mazdak Khan Luni, Haas School of Business, UC Berkley, mazdak_luni@mba.berkeley.edu
• Dr. Syed Zohaib Gilani, zohaib@lums.edu.pk

• Camras Vision - 67 million people worldwide are afflicted with glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness.  The only way to prevent vision loss for the millions of glaucoma sufferers is to lower eye pressure. This is currently treated with drugs and surgical interventions, yet these treatments are unpredictable and have suboptimal success rates. Camras Vision has created a revolutionary device, the Camras Shunt, to treat glaucoma in a safe and effective manner. It has the potential to usurp the drug and surgical markets by being the first glaucoma treatment to provide personalized care that can be adjusted for the lifetime of the patient to predictably and accurately lower eye pressure.     
• Team Leader: Lucinda Camras, Pratt 2013, lucinda.camras@camrasvision.com 
• Team:Lucinda Camras, Pratt, 2013, lucinda.camras@duke.edu

• CranioVation - Innovative solutions in Neurosurgery     
• Team Leader: Vijay Agarwal, School of Medicine 2016, vjagarwal@gmail.com 
• Team:Vijay Agarwal, School of Medicine, 2016, vjagarwal@gmail.com
• Robert Isaacs, School of Medicine, Professor, robert.isaacs@duke.edu
• Craig Litherland, n/a, n/a, bikeplease@gmail.com

• LuxSano Biomedical - Our product involves the combination of Ultraviolet C radiation with a pulsatile lavage portable device, which is the current standard of care for cleansing larger wounds during surgery.   The innovative use of these two technologies in tandem during surgery is expected have a 99%  efficiency in decreasing bacterial counts at the wound site (as opposed to 89% effectiveness with pulsatile lavage-only treatment). With hospitals facing increasing pressure from insurance companies to eliminate surgical-site infections and subsequent hospital care, this inexpensive and disposable device has the potential to save hospitals millions yearly.  Since the current pulsatile lavage market is highly commoditized, LuxSano has developed an Ultraviolet C attachment that can be added onto any current pulsatile lavage device to enhance the wound decontamination. LuxSano has created strategies for regulatory approval as well as an outsourced device manufacturing and distribution plan for the US. The markets for this UVC-pulsatile lavage will initially consist of orthopedic and trauma surgeries (over 1,000,000 of these are performed yearly in the US alone). With later adjustments to the device to make it more applicable to sensitive tissue treatment, the colorectal and pediatric markets will also be an option for LuxSano's sales.     
• Team Leader: Jay Wilson, Pratt 2013, jay.wilson@duke.edu 
• Team:Jack Archer, Trinity, 2013, jack.archer@duke.edu
• Aimee Raleigh, Pratt, 2013, aimee.raleigh@gmail.com
• Jay Wilson, Pratt, 2013, jay.wilson@duke.edu
• Marshall Vingi, Trinity, 2014, marshall.vingi@duke.edu
• Ringo Yen, Pratt, 2013, ringo.yen@duke.edu

• Refresh Innovations - The Contact Lens Refresh Card is an ultra slim, all-in-one contact lens case and multipurpose solution package. Our patent-pending design is the size of a credit card, disposable and convenient to carry at all times.     
• Team Leader: Matthew Pleatman, Pratt 2013, mpleatman@gmail.com 
• Team:Matt Pleatman, Pratt, 2013, matt.pleatman@refreshcards.com
• Collin Walter, Trinity, 2007, matt.pleatman@refreshcards.com

Internet, IT & Media Track - Vote here

• 5thyr - My alma mater’s alumni development office number is 781-736-2000.  I know this due to the fact that I screen their call roughly two times per week because an impersonal request for money is not my idea of a pleasant conversation. 5thyr solves this problem through its interactive platform, which simultaneously utilizes existing information while continuously acquiring and analyzing new data.  Gift officers can use the platform to reveal which of his or her current contacts has the strongest connections to a potential donor to minimize the need for cold calls from a nameless school employee.     
• Team Leader: Jonathan Coleman, The Graduate School 2018, jc367@duke.edu 
• Team:Jonathan Coleman, Graduate School, 2018, jc367@duke.edu

• AmbiMap - Our goal is to provide users with indoor maps and real-time turn-by-turn navigation. Our product would extend the experience of current outdoor GPS systems to indoor environments.  Using a personal mobile device, a user will be able to determine their current location on a digital map and then be guided via turn-by-turn directions to their desired destination. The target audience for such a system would be all tablet and smartphone users.     
• Team Leader: Itay Cnaan-On, The Graduate School 2016, imc5@duke.edu 
• Team:Itay Cnaan-On, Graduate School, 2016, Itay.Cnaan.On@duke.edu
• Jonathan Odom, Graduate School, 2009 2011 2014, Jonathan.Odom@duke.edu
• Li Li, Graduate School, 2011 2014, li.li@duke.edu
• Jonathan Soli, Graduate School, 2017, Jonathan.Soli@duke.edu

• BeAmbitious - Disappointed with the existing recruiting services, VPs of engineering at Pandora, DropBox and Square signed up to use our beta version because our product like no other creates an engaging experience of referring friends, getting scores and high rankings for successful referrals and being able to not only earn off of it, but also donate the earnings to charities (with consequent tax breaks and social recognition). Our solution also attracted a seasoned Entrepreneur in Residence from Primera Capital who recently sold his gaming company to Oracle into our advisory board.     
• Team Leader: Iskander Rakhmanberdiyev, Trinity 2015, iskander.rakhman@gmail.com 
• Team:Aiko Kokkozova, Economics BS & Computer Science BA, Trinity at Duke, 2012, ak138@duke.edu
• Iskander Rakhmanberdiyev, NE BS & CS BA, UC Berkeley, 2015, iskander.rakhman@gmail.com
• Jeremy Blalock, EE & CS BS, UC Berkeley, 2013, jblalock@berkeley.edu
• Jamine Lee, Computer Science BA, UC Berkeley, 2016, jasminelee988@gmail.com

• CrowdTunes - For the venue owner seeking a cost effective way to deliver the right music to the right audience at the right time, CrowdTunes is a cloud based music management service and mobile bidding platform that empowers patrons to bid on the music they want to hear in a virtual marketplace. Unlike traditional music management options that require a capital investment and ongoing maintenance while offering the patron nothing more than a static playlist, CrowdTunes engages the patrons in a dynamic environment that is suited specifically to their taste -- while providing a cost-effective and low-maintenance solution to the venue. More simply put, jukeboxes have been around since the early 1900’s and haven’t evolved over that time. We are still feeding dollars into clumsy machines that offer no personalization and limited interaction. The time has come for CrowdTunes to bring the jukebox into the 21st century and revolutionize the bar experience.     
• Team Leader: Joseph Bartell, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2014, joe.bartell@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Brandon Magsamen, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, brandon.magsman@fuqua.duke.edu
• Joe Bartell, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, joe.bartell@fuqua.duke.edu
• Lee Kornfeld, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, lee.kornfeld@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Jay Needham, Duke Law / Fuqua School of Business, 2014, jay.needham@fuqua.duke.edu
• Davis Gossage, Pratt School of Engineering, 2016, dcg13@duke.edu

• Falcon Mobility - Falcon Mobility provides a marketing CMS solution to multi chain retailers to create region and store specific promotions rendered to customers based on their location accessing the retailers' site. More broadly, Falcon allows retailers that share Geo-proximity to do collaborative marketing by running these promotions on each other's website. Finally Falcon aims to become an aggregator for all small to large multi chain retailers' location based promotions that can be then sourced for 3rd party advertising through google or adknowledge. 
• Team Leader: Nakul Sarraf, Fuqua - EMBA (CC, GEMBA, WEMBA) 2013, nakul.sarraf@duke.edu 
• Team:Nick Sarraf , Fuqua MBA 2013
• John Megel, Fuqua MBA 2013

• Gopinion - Gopinion is a mobile and web customer relations application that aims to give businesses private, accurate feedback from their customers.     
• Team Leader: chris muto, Trinity 2013, chris@gopinion.com 
• Team:Chris Muto, Trinity College, 2013
• Joe Tagliente, Colby College, 2013

• Jobbertunity - The job-search process is an overwhelming and often tedious one, especially for students. There are no set paths, no set deadlines, no set destinations, and there is an overwhelming amount of information to manage and track. Currently, there is no single solution to manage all the job-search related information in one place. Job-seekers are forced to maintain company notes, contact lists, emails, task lists, interview preparation materials separately, and information often tends to get lost or misplaced or overlooked. Manually maintaining all this information using existing tools like Excel and Outlook is time consuming and challenging. Jobbertunity (http://www.jobbertunity.com) aims to take the stress and uncertainty out of the job search process by taking care of housekeeping tasks, so that job seekers can focus on the more important things.  Think of it as your own personal assistant for all things related to job-search!  From identifying and unearthing new companies to keeping a track of contacts and jobs, Jobbertunity provides a one-stop location where users can manage their target companies, contacts, notes, tasks, reminders and interview preparation materials.  By integrating with existing tools that job seekers already use such as LinkedIn and indeed.com, we make it easy for our users to get organized and land their dream jobs.     
• Team Leader: Ameya Kulkarni, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2013, amey420@gmail.com 
• Team:Ameya Kulkarni, Fuqua School of Business, Class of 2013, ak240@duke.edu
• Amy Vaduthalakuzhy, Fuqua School of Business, Class of 2013, av84@duke.edu

• Suggest-it - The goal of Suggest-it is to improve in-person customer experiences in real time and encouraging a two-way conversation of feedback thereby increasing overall sales for in-person business through increased repeat visits and word-of-mouth marketing. Customers today have access to more modes of communication than ever before, there is no product or service that allows a customer to communicate their preferences and improve their experience in real-time. For businesses, there exists no data aggregation service that allows managers to receive feedback and adjust services in real-time before customers leave their store. Suggest-it will provide a private platform for customers and businesses to interface in real-time, allowing business owners the unique opportunity to improve aspects of their service before their customers walk out the door. Ultimately, Suggest-it will be both the go-to service for end-users to convey feedback directly to businesses and for businesses to understand customer preferences through Suggest-it’s analytics services.    
• Team Leader: Jessica Sawhney, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2013, jessica.sawhney@duke.edu 
• Team:Jessica Sawhney, The Fuqua School of Business, 2013, jessica.sawhney@fuqua.duke.edu
• Ganesh Subramanian, The Fuqua School of Business, 2013, ganesh.subramanian@fuqua.duke.edu

• U-Link Tutoring - U-Link Tutoring.com is a patent-pending tutor-student matching site that works. On other online tutoring sites, students often have difficulty finding qualified tutors who are willing to meet in person. Even when this is possible, the prices can be steep. On ULinkTutoring.com, students can tutor one-on-one, or they can add classmates to their tutoring sessions by sending invitations via e-mail, facebook, or twitter. The more students are added to a group, the less each student pays. We help students form a tutoring group, find a qualified tutor, do a background check, and determine a convenient time and place to meet using our scheduling platform.     
• Team Leader: Stephanie Downey, Trinity 2014, SDowney91@gmail.com 
• Team:Stephanie Downey, Trinity, 2014, sld31@duke.edu
• Alan Ni, Trinity, 2013, alan.ni@duke.edu
• Howard Chung, Trinity, 2013, howard.chung@duke.edu
• Jie Wang, Trinity, 2014, jie.wang3@duke.edu
• Faisal Ahmed, thephpx@gmail.com

Other Products & Services Track - Vote here

• FishCycle - Recycling fish byproduct and redistributing to places in need.     
• Team Leader: Albert Hu, Pratt 2014, uhtrebla@gmail.com 
• Team:Albert Hu, Pratt School of Engineering, 2014, ah196@duke.edu
• Mike Yuefeng Du, Pratt, 2014, yd27@duke.edu

• Judith & James - Judith and James is an apparel company that turns a simple clothing purchase into a visible act of charity. We manufacture our clothing ethically, providing opportunity and stability to vulnerable women in Kenya. We provide manufacturing services for small-scale designers who want to ensure that their products are made ethically and to the highest standards of quality. We work with designers to help them differentiate their products in a competitive market and making manufacturing accessible for new players in the industry. Additionally we will launch our own brand inspired by vibrant African textiles and classic American shapes. As we grow we will be able to employ more and more Kenyan women, widening our impact on development in Kenya. 
• Team Leader: Sara Adam, Trinity 2013, sara.adam@duke.edu 
• Team:Sara Adam, Trinity, 2013, sara.adam@duke.edu
• Anna Taylor, University of Arkansas, 2013, anna@judithandjames.com

• Modzify - Modzify is committed to seamlessly expanding the functionality of common consumer electronics with innovative and economic solutions     
• Team Leader: Matthew Pleatman, Pratt 2013, mpleatman@gmail.com 
• Team:Matt Pleatman, Pratt School of Engineering, 2013, matt.pleatman@duke.edu
• Mike Qu, Pratt School of Engineering, 2013, mike.qu@duke.edu
• Mike Feng, Pratt School of Engineering, 2011, fengmike00@gmail.com

• NeuroSpire - Traditional forms of market research are often limited by the extent to which individuals can identify and subsequently communicate their emotions and visceral / biological responses to researchers. Neuromarketing utilizes brain imaging technology to uncover raw, unfiltered reactions without the need for verbalization. Neuromarketing technology eliminates many of the biases and shortcomings typical of market research methods like focus groups and surveys. Our proven brain-wave based measures are validated by decades of neuroscience research and are currently used in marketing studies around the world.     
• Team Leader: Shilpi Kumar, Trinity 2013, shilpi.lal.kumar@gmail.com 
• Team:Jake Stauch, Trinity, 2014, jake.stauch@neurospire.com
• Shilpi Kumar, Trinity, 2013, shilpi.kumar@duke.edu

• SaleSource - Sending US workers abroad to save companies money and maintain the high standards of customer service and sales that they have in the US.     
• Team Leader: Tito Bohrt, Trinity 2014, titobohrt@gmail.com 
• Team:Tito Bohrt, Trinity 2013, hjb5@duke.edu

• Star Toilet Paper - Printing advertisements and coupons on toilet paper, supplying venues with patented, printed toilet paper at no cost, and giving you great deals at your fingertips.     
• Team Leader: Bryan Silverman, Trinity 2015, bryan@startoiletpaper.com 
• Team:Bryan Silverman, Trinity, 2015, bgs13@duke.edu

• TriangleBioLabs - More people are turning to urban gardening to grow more of their own food due to the increase cost of food and because of the health concerns associated with consuming genetically modified organisms (GMO). According to an article published by USA Today, approximately 81% of all soybeans, 64% of cotton, 29% of corn, and 23% of canola globally were grown from genetically altered seeds. One of the biggest challenges that urban gardeners face is improving and finding quality soil. While there are many ways to improve soil quality for organic agriculture in particular, these methods typically require large amounts of time and material, and often necessitate massive amounts of synthetic chemical fertilizers - all of which makes undertaking urban gardening more difficult. We are providing solution via a low cost natural based fertilizer that uses a unique blend of microorganism and naturally derived nutrients that will: 1) increase plant yield, 2) increase soil quality, and 3) reduce the need for synthetic chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Our MicrobeMiner MicrobeGrow formula is a propriety combination of different microorganisms and nutrients that enhance soil properties. MicrobeGrow can be used to enhance the garden, lawn, or any indoor plants safely, and thus, providing a natural fertilizer alternative for your home or business.     
• Team Leader: Thomas Worley-Morse, Pratt 2013, tom3@duke.edu 
• Team:Thomas Worley-Morse, Pratt School of Engineering, 2013
• Ryan Holzem, Pratt School of Engineering, 2013

Social Enterprises Track - Vote here

• Benefactory - Sanitation is one the most serious problems facing humankind in today’s world. Almost 40% of the world’s population, 2.6 billion people, does not have access to adequate sanitation, meaning they must defecate openly. This leads to increased transmission of intestinal parasites and diseases. The global sanitation crisis provides a large market opportunity; billions of dollars of aid funding are wasted yearly on ineffective solutions that are unused by the local populations. Consequently, there is huge demand from development agencies and non-governmental organizations for new and better solutions; current NGO initiatives often require locals to pay fees that they cannot afford.  Our design is based on criteria given by communities in developing countries who choose not to use the latrines that they have been provided. When the community members were asked what they want, they indicated electricity, hot water, and better food at as their top priorities. Our system converts human waste to electricity-generating biogas, organic fertilizer, and nutritional supplements while fully sanitizing the waste. Revenue is generated from products of the Benefactory system; there is no cost to the customer to use the sanitation system. This revenue, combined with low maintenance technology, and the community-tailored design means that the system is sustainable. The necessary maintenance and security for the system can be paid for using funds obtained through selling the products it generates. We are currently developing a prototype in conjunction with Farendé’s Village Development Committee to be tested in Togo and seek to expand our sanitation system across the neighboring countries of Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin as well as the state of Maharashtra, India in the next 3 years. The Benefactory solution not only addresses the serious problem of sanitation, but also stimulates regional economies while reducing energy and nutrition shortages.     
• Team Leader: Kushal Seetharam, Pratt 2014, kushalseetharam@gmail.com 
• Team:Kushal Seetharam, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2014,kushalseetharam@gmail.com
• Connor Cotton, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2014,connor.cotton@gmail.com
• Dennis Li, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2014,dennis.li.92@gmail.com
• Joyce Yu, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2013,joyceyu48@gmail.com
• Mona Dai, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2015,monadai.md@gmail.com

• Ecademy Africa - Ecademy Africa's eShule platform is a paid for web and Android application aimed at Kenyan high school students who have access to smartphones and the internet, but lack high quality teachers. eShule provides authentic mentorship courses, quality formal eLearning and college counselling.     
• Team Leader: Leonard Ng'eno, Trinity 2013, leonard.ngeno@duke.edu 
• Team:Leonard Kiplang'at Ng'eno, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2013
• Allan Kiplagat, Pratt School of Engineering, Class of 2016
• John Waithaka Muthee, Fuqua School of Business, Class of 2012
• Martha Obasi, Harvard University, Class of 2015
• Doris Mwendwa Mbabu, Williams College, Class of 2015
• Immaculate Ikaibere, University of Nairobi, Class of 2016

• Mati (Tea) Inc. - Mati is a delicious, award-winning beverage. As an Honest Tea meets Izze juice, we offer an organic, low calorie, caffeinated, and carbonated tea. Our customers love Mati for its deliciously refreshing, energizing, and healthy qualities. In addition, Mati is eco- and budget- friendly thanks to the packaging.     
• Team Leader: Tatiana Birgisson, Trinity 2012, tbirgisson@gmail.com 
• Team:Tatiana Birgisson, Trinity, Dec. 2012, tatiana@matitea.com

• SeamHappy - Common promotional products (pens, water bottles, reusable shopping bags, etc.) have become a lost branding opportunity. Businesses purchase these items to show appreciation to their customers, build brand recognition, and set themselves apart from competitors. The problem is that most businesses are ordering these items from the same catalogs. An untapped demand exists for unique, high quality brandable items. For those who attempt to seek non-traditional promotional products and corporate gifts, the current search, negotiation, and development costs require much time and effort. As a result, businesses resort to purchasing “white-label” products in bulk from distributors and online vendors. More often than not, they settle for items that have little connection with the brand. For the recipients of such items, these gifts appear disingenuous, misguided, and wasteful. SeamHappy seeks to innovate the promotional products industry. Our solution connects businesses with local artisans to create premium branded gifts, customizable to meet any business’ needs. Following the lead of successful local supply chain models, our vision is to build curated networks of artisans and skilled professionals in creative-class metros throughout the United States. An online bidding platform will allow businesses to post jobs for their gifting needs. SeamHappy artisan members will then place bids on the jobs. This platform repositions the role of artisans within our communities as top-of-mind local resources and is the basis for the social impact underlying our business.     
• Team Leader: Jennifer Yang, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2014, jennifer.yang.buntaine@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Jennifer Yang Buntaine, The Fuqua School of Business, 2014
• Amaresh Sahoo, The Fuqua School of Business, 2014
• Hemant Singh, The Fuqua School of Business, 2014

• StumpworX, Inc - StumpworX is devoted to improving prosthetic arm technology NOW—inexpensively, elegantly, and incrementally. We are creating a soft prosthetic socket constructed like today’s most advanced athletic shoes. By responding to the real needs and priorities of amputees, we make prosthetic arms more wearable, functional, and comfortable. The most used prosthetic arm device was 100 years old on October 29, 2012, but that's not the most significant problem in prosthetic arms. Half of patients don’t wear an arm at all, and 90 per cent of them cite fit and comfort as the reason. Even with high tech devices, suspension—how you attach it—is the key, and our soft socket addresses that need. A social enterprise, we engage users in helping shape our vision for the future of prosthetic arms through part ownership shared with all US Military arm amputees.     
• Team Leader: Jonathan Kuniholm, Pratt 2014, jfk3@duke.edu 
• Team:Jonathan Kuniholm, Pratt, 2014, jfk3@duke.edu

• VentureFarming - The Challenge: Our industrial agriculture system has resulted in limited employment opportunities for new farmers. For every six American farmers over the age of 65, there is just one below 35 (Figure 1).  New farmers are not filling this gap because a system of challenges inhibits their success, including: high cost of land, lack of working capital, lack of business planning experience, low access to markets, high living expenses relative to income, volatile cash flows and limited experience. Current support systems such as government loans, technical assistance, and non-profit incubators fail to address the suite of challenges listed above and favor large-scale commodity operators. The Solution: VentureFarming is a scalable farm incubator that employs a risk diversification approach to launch and sustain new organic farmers. The VF model employs a systems framework to aggregate farmers, provide shared resources, and promote best practices in exchange for a lease fee.  Farmers benefit from affordable access to land, flexible rent arrangements, business training, expert agricultural mentorship, sales and marketing support, and inexpensive co-housing.  The supportive environment of a VentureFarm facilitates personal growth and professional success in young farmers, resulting in resilient and prosperous communities that eat healthier, live longer, and preserve the American agricultural tradition.     
• Team Leader: David Nicola, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2013, david.nicola@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team: Jack Beuttell, Fuqua MBA 2014, Nicholas MEM 2014
• David Nicola, Fuqua MBA 2013

Special Interest Tracks

Special Interest Tracks serve to encourage particular communities to participate in the competition. They serve as an additional opportunity to make it into the later rounds of the competition.

Undergrad-led Startups Track (vote for the team in their functional track above)

Must be originated and led by current Duke undergraduate students.
The complete team descriptions can be found above.
The listings below are subject to change.

Alumni/Faculty/Staff Teams in Round 2 

- Vote here (there are two listings of Alumni Teams; you can vote in each listing)

• Study Bugs - Making learning possible everywhere, one dot at a time. An innovative approach to tackling the educational issues resource poor schools face.     
• Team Leader: Hannah McCracken, Trinity 2016, hcm16@duke.edu 
• Team:Rachel Hennein, Trinity, 2016, rth15@duke.edu
• Shannon Adams, Trinity, 2016, sya6@duke.edu
• Rica Zhang, Trinity, 2016, rz30@duke.edu
• Suhani Jalota, Trinity, 2016, sj136@duke.edu

• BetterShared - BetterShared is an efficient peer to peer mobile and web-based platform for health related information. It blends the question and answer format of Quora with the efficient information sharing functionality of Twitter and Foursquare. The content is organized into categories providing a one-stop place to find what you need when you need it shared by real people. Time spent searching the web and combing through message boards is eliminated. The content is shared mainly between patients with peripheral physician involvement to add physician perspective. If you’ve discovered a mobile application to help manage your health bills or diabetes, or want a recommendation for a local restaurant serving a delicious gluten-free meal or have suggestions on how to make a colonoscopy prep tolerable, then this site if for you     
• Team Leader: Lisa Jones, School of Medicine 2013, lisamarjones@gmail.com 
• Team:Lisa Jones, School of Medicine, 2013, lisamarjones@gmail.com

• EigenBark - EigenBark is a high-tech communication hub that connects you to your pup at a level never before possible. The $50 billion dog ownership market, growing sharply at 4.8 percent in recent years, consists of more than 50 million US households hungry for a better way to care for their pet. EigenBark provides a unique cloud-based solution that leverages data analytics and real time monitoring to help owners tailor a routine specific to their unique dog. Becoming better connected with your dog is as simple as equipping your dog with the EigenCollar, a wireless Internet-connected canine computer. The onboard sensors generate real-time activity reports that can be used to optimize walk schedules based on activity, quantify and monitor behavioral changes, assist in training and ensure that services like dog walking are effective, keeping you in tune with your dog’s needs. The high-tech EigenCollar also offers new ways to interact with your dog through the EigenSpace cloud platform. From the convenience of a smartphone or web browser, users can react to real-time information by remotely interacting with their dog in addition to programming routines online. For example, let’s say you’re out of town and your dog escapes. EigenSpace is automatically configured to alert your neighbors. What if the temperature drops while you’re at work? EigenSpace triggers the EigenCollar to automatically instruct your dog inside using audio commands. These features offer EigenBark subscribers an unmatched peace of mind. The EigenBark platform is free to use after the purchase of the EigenCollar hardware, however premium services such as activity reports and online routine building will require a monthly subscription. Built on open source technology, developers can use EigenBark’s doggyAPI to create custom hardware and software applications for their dog. For the cost of a chew toy plus a box of treats each month, pet owners everywhere can have peace of mind and provide improved care for their pets by transforming their companion from dog into Eigen-dog! *Market data from the American Pet Product Association     
• Team Leader: Aaron Krolik, Pratt 2015, ak181@duke.edu Team:Aaron Krolik, Pratt, 2015, ak181@Duke.edu
• Logan Su, Pratt, 2015, ludi1001@gmail.com

• familEASE - Parents with children of any age know how a family outing to a restaurant can turn into a nightmare at the drop of a hat.  The only solution is to sit down, order as fast as possible, and woof down as much food as you can before the inevitable meltdown happens or food literally starts flying.  That is no way for a family to enjoy a meal that they spend their hard-earned money on.  In fact, most families opt for unhealthy fast food or takeout, and avoid restaurants like the plague. Now, there is a way to enjoy a meal out on the town without the meltdown danger, at your own family’s pace.  Parents log onto familEASE, choose a local restaurant, a desired eating time, place an order and show up to a great meal—already at the table—and leave when YOU are ready.  You can even pre-pay online so there is no waiting for a check for what seems like eternity or fumbling with wallets while corralling baby carriers, diaper bags, screaming toddlers, leftovers and strollers.  Families can also feel great about supporting their locally-owned restaurants instead of the big chains.     
• Team Leader: Brian Hamilton, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2014, brian.hamilton@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Brian Hamilton, the Fuqua School of Business, Daytime '14
• Eduardo Palma, the Fuqua School of Business, Daytime '14
• Zhan Khaw, the Fuqua School of Business, Daytime '14
• Marianna Hamilton

• Fit It Up - Most people would like to be more physically fit than they are now. Three quarters of Americans get some form of exercise, but there’s a large knowledge gap in the fitness world. Everyone wants the workout to fit their needs, but few have the experience and know-how to put together fun and effective workouts on their own. Fit It Up aims to solve this problem. Fit It Up is a website where users can search, view, organize, rate, create, and share workouts. Users can browse by category, body part, fitness goal, or available equipment to find workouts written by our staff of experts or by other users. Once a user bookmarks a workout, they can quickly access it later in their profile or pull it up on their mobile device. Each exercise is linked to an instructional video that demonstrates proper form. With access to Fit It Up’s vast library of instructional videos, users can drag and drop exercises to create and share their own workouts. By allowing everyone to ‘like’ posted workouts, the quality content floats to the top and becomes easy to find. Fit It Up aims to bring people together around the common interest of fitness. I believe creating an open platform for exercise routines will encourage people to be more active and result in a happier, healthier population. I never want someone to think “I want to get in shape, but I just don’t know what to do.”     
• Team Leader: Isaac Odim, Pratt 2013, isaac.odim@duke.edu 
• Team:Isaac Odim, Pratt, December 2013, isaac.odim@duke.edu

• Listd - Listd lets you buy online passes to skip lines at your favorite bars and nightclubs from your computer or your phone. You can purchase passes either days before, on the day of, or while waiting in line. Just remember that our passes are limited for each night so get yours before it runs out.  Steps: 1.Search for your bar 2. Purchase your pass 3.Walk to the front of the line 4.Give your name or show your pass 5. You're in. Listd Tickets:Passes go on sale the week before your planned outing till 5 am of the following day after your planned outing. That means you have a whole week to purchase passes, even while waiting in line. The sooner you purchase passes, the cheaper they are, so get them soon!     
• Team Leader: Rohan Kshirsagar, Pratt 2013, rohan.kshirsagar@duke.edu 
• Team:Michael Wang, Carnegie Melon University, 2013, mwang4@andrew.cmu.edu
• Scott Dombkow, Carnegie Mellon University, 2013, sdombkow@andrew.cmu.edu
• Dhruv Sekhri, University of Michigan, 2013, dsekhri@umich.edu

• NotifyMeWhen - At its core, NotifyMeWhen is a fully-integrated website-mobile interface. Users register to have a free NotifyMeWhen account, which acts as a storage area for their search requests. The system then constantly crawls the web and notifies users when their requests become available. This saves consumers’ time and money, improves online efficiency, and essentially revolutionizes the current complex system of internet searching.     
• Team Leader: Paige Muggeridge, Trinity 2015, paigemuggeridge@gmail.com 
• Team:Paige Muggeridge, Trinity, 2015, paigemuggeridge@gmail.com
• James Band, Trinity, 2016, jamiehgband@gmail.com

• One Stop Adventure Shop - Our solution is a website that would bring together resources to help a user research, coordinate and develop a customized travel plan, make reservations and eventually post their travel stories in an online journal     
• Team Leader: Arshkit Dullat, Fuqua - EMBA (CC, GEMBA, WEMBA) 2013, arshkit.dullat@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Arshkit Dullat, Fuqua School of Business, 2013, arshkit.dullat@fuqua.duke.edu
• Ruchir Gupte, Fuqua School of Business, 2013, ruchir.gupte@fuqua.duke.edu
• Shashi Keerthi, Fuqua School of Business, 2013,shashi.keerthi@fuqua.duke.edu
• Brian Williams, Fuqua School of Business, 2013, brian.williams@fuqua.duke.edu

• Rhymes & Designs - R&D is a creative collective and streetwear community that focuses on passion and self-expression by using creative platforms to promote creative artists. We make exclusive clothing and display art by working with talented visual and vocal artists. We find unique ways for artists to collaborate and promote their brand and work.     
• Team Leader: Arturo Royster, Fuqua - MMS 2013, arturo.royster@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Arturo Royster, Fuqua School of Business, Spring 2013, arturo.royster@fuqua.duke.edu

• SchoolTek USA - SchoolTek, founded in 2009 in India, is a predictive analytics application that predicts student performance to forewarn and coach students based on their learning patterns. It was developed to significantly improve the way schools (administration/teachers) function to help students perform better academically. With the increased focus on student achievement and expectations from a student – the product offers the key stake-holders in the education eco-system better capabilities to Measure, Understand, Scale and Transform – student academic experience.     
• Team Leader: Harsha Konduri, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2014, hsk16@duke.edu 
• Team:Mahesh Baba, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, mahesh.baba@fuqua.duke.edu
• Tushar Kirtane, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, tushar.kirtane@fuqua.duke.edu
• Harsha Konduri, Fuqua School of Business, 2014, harsha.konduri@fuqua.duke.edu

• Shindig - Shindig is a social networking platform, in the form of a mobile application, designed to bring friends together by sharing plans and ranking popular venues.     
• Team Leader: Julian Tigler, Pratt 2014, jbt16@duke.edu 
• Team:Julian Tigler, Pratt at Duke, 2014, juliantigler@gmail.com
• Glenn Rivkees, Pratt at Duke, 2014, glenn.rivkees@gmail.com
• Hailey Friedman, Emory University, 2011, hsfried7@gmail.com
• James Rubinowitz, Emory University, 2013, james.rubinowitz@gmail.com
• Eric Ugland, Savannah College of Art and Design, 2014, ericlugland@gmail.com

• SmartOutfit - SmartOutfit is an internet-based eCommerce company developing an apparel search and recommendation engine.  SmartOutfit currently includes three technical employees with a primary focus on developing machine learning and computer vision algorithms to improve the SmartOutfit engine.  We're interested in new technical or business employees.  We're also looking for potential investment interests..     
• Team Leader: Jordan Malof, Pratt 2015, jmmalo03@gmail.com 
• Team:Jordan Malof, Pratt School of Enginneering, 08/30/2015,jmmalo03@gmail.com
• Nick Czarnek, Pratt School of Enginneering, 08/30/2017, nczarnek@gmail.com
• Maciej Mazurowski, Duke Department of Radiology, N/A, m.a.mazurowski@gmail.com

• Via, Inc. - At Via, Inc., we strive to create innovation with every step we take by easing the stress brought on by the everyday nuisances in life. As a consumer enters a store, they are often overwhelmed by the abundance of aisles, products, etc. They frequently find themselves walking from wall to wall and back again trying to find products. Once all of the items on their list have been picked up, the customer proceeds to the checkout and is met with what seems like an endless queue. Via, Inc. is committed to solving this seemingly impossible problem for both the consumer and retailers, allowing everyone to use their precious time more effectively. We will begin with the launch of ViaExpress, a Smartphone application that will revolutionize the way all people think about shopping. We are not merely offering another application. It is a change in experience, an experience that will solve problems faced by retailers and consumers alike. Here at Via, Inc., we strive to create innovation with every step we take. Our mission is to give our consumers the powerful tools that they need so desperately.     
• Team Leader: Mayank Dubey, Pratt 2016, mayank.dubey@duke.edu 
• Team:Mayank Dubey, Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, 2016, mayank.dubey@duke.edu
• Sean Stempler, Georgetown University, 2016, sean@seanstempler.com
• Subbarao Yalamanchili, College of the Holy Cross, 2016, syalam16@g.holycross.edu
• Vishruth Reddy, Lexington (MA) High School, 2013

• WellDine - Please direct any questions or inquiries to zx17@duke.edu. You can probably recall a time where you had a poor restaurant experience prior to ever taking a bite. Before the actual meal, you make a series of decisions based on the information available. The goal of dining apps and websites is to make sure that users are aware of what to expect before stepping inside a venue. However, the leading services today, such as Yelp and Urbanspoon, are prone to ineffective communication due to lack of personalization. Finding a place to eat is too often more difficult than it should be. The global filters and unspecific features that existing food apps employ do not cater to the needs of the individual user. This leads to customer frustration and loss of future sales for the business. One solution cannot guarantee that the dining experience will be free from inconveniences. Nevertheless, it is evident that the status quo has great room for improvement. Customers want a way to easily find a place they'll enjoy. WellDine does just that. Imagine if you could tap the search button and only see the results that actually matter to you. Imagine if you could walk into a restaurant knowing everything you could ever want to know, absolutely confident that you've made at least one good choice that day. Imagine if dining out was tailored towards your every wish, from the second you feel hungry until the moment the experience is complete. Today, that's rare. Tomorrow is WellDine.     
• Team Leader: Zirui Xiao, Trinity 2016, zx17@duke.edu 
• Team:Leader - Zirui (Felix) Xiao, Trinity 2016, zx17@duke.edu

• China Real Estate Online - We plan to build the first integrated Real Estate Index in China and develop an online database and web/Mobile/iPhone Application for Chinese Real Estate market so that it is easier for home buyers to find their dream homes, home seller can list their homes online, etc. Potential users include tens of millions Home Buyers/Sellers, Home Builders, Real Estate Agents, Banks, Investors, Financial Institutions.     
• Team Leader: Judy Yang, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2014, judy.yang@fuqua.duke.edu 
• Team:Judy Yang, Fuqua MBA class of 2014, judy.yang@fuqua.duke.edu
• Michael Zang, MIT 00’, michaelzang88@yahoo.com

• ErrandRunners - Duke University Students don’t have the time or resources to be on the hunt for their grocery and household needs. They are put in the uncomfortable position of having to rely on the inadequate and under-stocked University Store system, the WeCar program, or a benevolent friend with a car to get their shopping done. ErrandRunners is a grocery, personal, and homecare product delivery service. We serve as a broker, buying directly from a multitude of wholesalers and delivering to the end user. We plan to provide our customers with efficiency and ease in their shopping for groceries, homecare and hygiene products. In addition to products, we are selling time and ease. ErrandRunners would be the first and only service to provide Students with the breadth of products Duke students need from the retailers they love without the hassle and cost of a trip. Customers would log in to the ErrandRunner’s website, select the goods they need, and have them delivered at their doorstep by ErrandRunners’s employees. ErrandRunners’s goal is to offer an easy way for customers to accomplish their grocery & household shopping needs, wherever and whenever with just a click on our website. ErrandRunners’s mission is to improve the lives of our customers by allowing them to put more of their time and effort towards what they love to do, rather than worrying about stocking their dorm or apartment.  Heading this effort are two individuals who have first-hand experience with the problems faced by their colleagues and classmates, Giulia Caterini and Maxime Fischer-Zernin (Duke University ’15).     
• Team Leader: Giulia Caterini, Trinity 2015, gc73@duke.edu 
• Team:Giulia Caterini, Trinity, 2015, gc73@duke.edu
• Maxime Fischer-Zernin, Trinity, 2015, mlf23@duke.edu

• LibrarySAFE - LibrarySAFE provides an innovative solution to the widespread library theft occurring on campuses. LibrarySAFE provides unique storage options for students at the library.     
• Team Leader: John Hartenbach, Pratt - MEMP 2013, jh357@duke.edu 
• Team:Jordan Wolfaardt, Pratt School of Engineering, 2013, jiw6@duke.edu

• Socialite - Adults lead very busy lives, constantly playing a difficult and stressful balancing act.  We use calendars to try to gain better control of our schedules.  Unfortunately, the schedules of college students and young professionals are not only busy, but also dynamic.  Weekly routines rarely exist: a meeting on Monday might occur one week and not the next, a class may meet in the mornings one day and afternoons on another.  Such dynamism makes comparing schedules time-consuming and tedious, creating difficulties in scheduling events. Scheduling new commitments, meetings, and social events between individuals boils down to a tug-of-war battle between schedules.  The simple process of trying to meet up for lunch becomes a frustrating exchange as friends wade through scattered class times, appointments, and meetings to find a suitable time to meet. Socialite bypasses the headaches of scheduling between friends and colleagues.  It sits on your smartphone as a mobile app, allowing you to send and receive meeting requests on the fly.  Upon acceptance of these requests, Socialite automatically processes everyone’s availabilities and suggests overlapping availabilities as potential meeting times.  Whether it’s conducting a meeting with your colleague or enjoying a lunch date with your friend, Socialite eliminates the hassle spent scheduling these events, allowing you to live more headache-free.     
• Team Leader: Anthony Lin, Trinity 2013, all42@duke.edu 
• Team:Anthony Lin, Trinity College, 2013, anthony.lin@duke.edu
• Chirag Vasavda, Trinity College, 2013, chirag.vasavda@duke.edu

• Energy Medic - Throughout the developing world, hospitals lack consistent access to grid power. In the poorest parts of the world, this means babies are born by the light of a cell phone and families hand-pump respirators for their children. In the richer developing world – imagine the 20th biggest city in India, in its 2nd richest hospital – coal or oil fired grid power supplies electricity for 18 hours a day and a dirty, inefficient diesel generators handle the six hours a day in which facilities lack grid electricity. Hospitals manage this power gap at considerable financial costs and hospital managers suffer uncertainty as they are left to the mercy of unstable grids and a fickle oil market. The gap in service from the moment of blackout to restoring power can typically run up to 15 minutes, which impacts quality of care and in the worst cases may lead to loss of life. Energy Medic has identified business problems corresponding to these social and environmental needs. Put most simply: unreliable energy supply hurts hospitals’ bottom lines. With inconsistent electricity, quality of care suffers in several ways, including direct impacts from loss of service (i.e., losing lighting in surgery and loss of power to intensive care equipment) as well as secondary impacts including wear and tear on equipment and erosion of staff morale. Spotty energy availability means hospital reputations suffer. And when hospitals compete for business, being known as the hospital with the most robust (and greenest) energy supply can boost brand. This model is built to scale internationally. We plan to pilot in India, where a relatively developed hospital sector coincides with an unreliable electrical grid.     
• Team Leader: Josh Seidenfeld, Fuqua - Daytime MBA 2015, josh.seidenfeld@duke.edu 
• Team:Nikhil Aggarwal, '14, Fuqua Daytime MBA, nikhil.aggarwal@fuqua.duke.edu
• John Bowman, ’15, Trinity College, john.bowman@duke.edu
• Ian Kelly, ’14, Nicholas School of the Environment, ian.kelly@duke.edu
• Katherine Latham, ’13, Trinity College, Katherine.latham@duke.edu
• Roopesh Nekkanti, ’14, Pratt MEM, rn52@duke.edu
• Josh Seidenfeld, '15, Fuqua Daytime MBA/Nicholas School of the Environment MEM, josh.seidenfeld@fuqua.duke.edu
• Christina Yagjian, '14, Fuqua Daytime MBA/Nicholas School of the Environment MEM, christina.yagjian@fuqua.duke.edu

• PikiMeUp - A system to connect pregnant women in rural Kenya with motorbike drivers to help increase access to medical care.     
• Team Leader: Max Stayman, Trinity 2016, max.stayman@duke.edu 
• Team:Max Stayman, Trinity, 2016
• Victoria Diggs, Trinity, 2016
• Thomas Vosburgh, Trinity, 2016
• Adam Kiridly, Trinity, 2016
• Andrew Eaton, Trinity, 2016
• Eric Green, Ph.D.

• The Marketplace - 17.1 percent of adults in Durham live in poverty. Those who live below the poverty line are estimated to have about half of what is required to live a basic life. That means approximately 40,000 people, out of the 230,000 people in Durham, can barely sustain a basic life. How do we solve this? We believe that microcredit, while currently flawed, is a great tool to be used to fight poverty. “The Marketplace” concept that we have developed solves two of the major problems with microcredit and has the potential to revolutionize the line between charity and business. The Marketplace implements the concept of microcredit through a partnership with a homeless shelter, resulting in a supportive community and living group for the borrowers to initiate their businesses. These businesses are then aggregated into a “flea market”-type area when the businesses ultimately sell their goods. Having all of the impoverished entrepreneurs in one location allows for greater management and monitoring of the businesses. Interested students from Duke University can volunteer to monitor and assist individual entrepreneurs, providing them with more allies along the way. In addition, having one location opens the doors to sharing heavily demanded and overlapping business resources required by the entrepreneurs, which will help lower expenditures and boost net profits for their businesses. Once the Marketplace opens, we will advertise the location out to Durham citizens and emphasize that these owners are all impoverished and are working hard to overcome poverty. From there, we will tap into the general public’s desire to help others, a desire evidenced by the hundreds of billions of dollars given to charity each year. The Marketplace is a conceptual blueprint for success because, at the end of the day, the fight against poverty should be fought together - and not alone.     
• Team Leader: King King Lu, Trinity 2015, king.king.lu@duke.edu 
• Team:King Lu, Trinity, 2015, king.king.lu@duke.edu
• Viju Mathew, Trinity, 2015, viju.mathew@duke.edu

• V.Frame - Over the years, we as humans have made significant advances with technology and specifically our forms of communication. New gadgets and gizmos have been created with touch screens and sleek interfaces for making it easier to place phone calls and stay visually connected with our friends and family. However, there is one demographic that is clearly being left out: our aging population. Where are the gadgets for the less tech-savvy; primarily our seniors? This group of people should have a way to visually connect to those who are no longer close by. This easy connection is the V.Frame.     
• Team Leader: Natasha Williams, Trinity 2013, natasha.williams@duke.edu 
• Team:Natasha Williams, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, 2013, Natasha.Williams@duke.edu

• WeChoose - Our business aims to provide Chinese people with safe and uncontaminated food by establishing a grocery store that cooperates with local farmers and enforces strict quality standards.     
• Team Leader: Yaqi Guo, Trinity 2015, yg37@duke.edu 
• Team:Yaqi Sophie Guo: Trinity, 2015, yg37@duke.edu
• Payal Chakraborty, Trinity, 2015, pc86@duke.edu
• Stephanie Chen, Trinity, 2015, scc23@duke.edu
• Christina He, Trinity, 2015, yuting.he@duke.edu

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Posted by Howie Rhee and Navid Samadani-McQuirk on February 26, 2013.  

Next Steps

• Come back around March 20, 2013 to vote for your favorite team in our People's Choice vote on our Facebook page.
• Follow the Duke Start-Up Challenge on Twitter!
• And make sure you RSVP on Facebook for our Grand Finale on April 12th, 2013 at 7:30pm.  We'll be determining the $50,000 winner live!