Friday, September 27, 2019
9A-Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
1st Interview: James Cowan (Business Admin Major)
2nd Interview: Casey Witte: (Business Major)
3rd Interview: Haley Kairab (Poli-Sci Major)
4th Interview: Marissa Rivers (Advertising Major)
5th Interview: Kristen Torres (Journalism Major)
For the second iteration of the interview process I tried to seek out majors that would relate to my idea, so business and advertising majors who may be doing work with similar companies in the future and then a poli-sci and journalism major who are going to be record keepers and proponents of the trends and regulatory practices that affect my idea.
Who?
Although prospects of new types of food production affect everyone, the individuals most seriously impacted by my idea would be businesses like grocery markets, food processing plants, and other individuals or organization that purchase large quantities of raw food product.
What?
my idea is rooted in a rising acute need for space-efficient food production and transportation services. This differs from farming services that solely supply food and agricultural services
Why?
The needs of those inside my boundary are different because we live on a planet that does not have unlimited space for agricultural use and quickly wears out soil when trying to meet the current demand for food.
|
|
Inside
the boundary
|
Outside
the boundary
|
|
Who?
|
Retail
businesses, Food processing, wholesale clubs
|
Other
types of businesses, farmers
|
|
What
|
Space
efficient food production and transportation
|
Livestock
raising or long-distance transportation (for now)
|
|
Why
|
Limited
space for agricultural services
|
Lack of
combination of vertical agriculture and local transportation
|
Friday, September 20, 2019
8A-Solving The Problem
Vertical Agriculture and Delivery Services:
This entrepreneurship idea would be a product-service mix that can capitalize on increasing food prices due to climate change. It incorporates two of the major issues that corn and soybean production are facing in the status quo: Transportation, and Formation.
The modern-day developed country like the United States or Brazil have the vast majority of the population concentrated in heavily populated urban areas. The world is so concentrated this way that the entirety of the human race could fit shoulder-to-shoulder in the state of Connecticut. Things like waste disposal and food production often take place far outside these dense urban areas. My product/service, however, will make it so that some of the food we eat can join us in our tightly packed cities. How? Through the same way we fit people in cities: by building upwards instead of outwards. Hydroponics would allow for corn and soybean Production in indoor temperature-controlled buildings. These buildings would be in urban areas slashing transportation costs. The cost of hydroponic growing could be Balanced out by this and increasing prices due to global warming which reduce the current supply and increase the demand.
This product/service can produce primarily corn and soybeans, but feasibly could produce other crops as well to sell to distributors and wholesale, while also providing cheap delivery services that can stay in the urban areas that need the products the most.
This entrepreneurship idea would be a product-service mix that can capitalize on increasing food prices due to climate change. It incorporates two of the major issues that corn and soybean production are facing in the status quo: Transportation, and Formation.
The modern-day developed country like the United States or Brazil have the vast majority of the population concentrated in heavily populated urban areas. The world is so concentrated this way that the entirety of the human race could fit shoulder-to-shoulder in the state of Connecticut. Things like waste disposal and food production often take place far outside these dense urban areas. My product/service, however, will make it so that some of the food we eat can join us in our tightly packed cities. How? Through the same way we fit people in cities: by building upwards instead of outwards. Hydroponics would allow for corn and soybean Production in indoor temperature-controlled buildings. These buildings would be in urban areas slashing transportation costs. The cost of hydroponic growing could be Balanced out by this and increasing prices due to global warming which reduce the current supply and increase the demand.This product/service can produce primarily corn and soybeans, but feasibly could produce other crops as well to sell to distributors and wholesale, while also providing cheap delivery services that can stay in the urban areas that need the products the most.
6A-Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends
Part 1) The Opportunities:
Economic Trends:
1. Climate change causing increasing food prices:
Increases in global temperatures result in an increase in most food costs as corn and soybean yields are drastically reduced when the temperature exceeds 84° Fahrenheit
a) The balance
b) Higher food prices will increase demand
c) Most consumers would be affected, most particularly restaurants and places that purchase large amounts of food
d) This would be an easy opportunity to exploit as this affects all people who consume food of this type
My biotech experience allowed me to see this opportunity based on my knowledge of how the food industry has incorporated corn or soybeans in most things you can find on a supermarket shelf.
2. Leveling Interest rates:
The Federal Reserve has kept inflation at its 2% target and has elected not to raise rates until 2021
a) The federal reserve
b) Lower interest rates mean more loans can be taken out and repaid
c) Entrepreneurs and small business owners benefit most from this
d) loans are a constant need for the economic world and thus this would ve an easy opportunity to exploit
As a student with debt to the federal government myself, my college experience allowed me to have a personal connection to this opportunity.
Regulatory Trends:
1. Medicinal Marijuana
a) 2016 referendum
b) Medicinal use in many states has led to recreational legalization
c) Medical patients and potential recreational users are the Prototypical customers
d) This opportunity may be more difficult to exploit since only medicinal is currently legal
My experience in researching marijuana laws for debate has allowed me to notice the short following recreational legalization that often follows medicinal legalization
2. Small business organization act of 2019
a) congress.gov
b) Re-organizing small businesses, making it easier to repay debt will allow for current small businesses to thrive and more small businesses to be created
c) Entrepreneurs and small-business owners are the prototypical customers
d) This would likely be easy to exploit since most small businesses are in debt
I often hear much of how small businesses stimulate the economy, so the limited economics knowledge I have brought me to believe in this opportunity.
Economic Trends:
1. Climate change causing increasing food prices:
Increases in global temperatures result in an increase in most food costs as corn and soybean yields are drastically reduced when the temperature exceeds 84° Fahrenheit
a) The balance
b) Higher food prices will increase demand
c) Most consumers would be affected, most particularly restaurants and places that purchase large amounts of food
d) This would be an easy opportunity to exploit as this affects all people who consume food of this type
My biotech experience allowed me to see this opportunity based on my knowledge of how the food industry has incorporated corn or soybeans in most things you can find on a supermarket shelf.
2. Leveling Interest rates:
The Federal Reserve has kept inflation at its 2% target and has elected not to raise rates until 2021
a) The federal reserve
b) Lower interest rates mean more loans can be taken out and repaid
c) Entrepreneurs and small business owners benefit most from this
d) loans are a constant need for the economic world and thus this would ve an easy opportunity to exploit
As a student with debt to the federal government myself, my college experience allowed me to have a personal connection to this opportunity.
Regulatory Trends:
1. Medicinal Marijuana
a) 2016 referendum
b) Medicinal use in many states has led to recreational legalization
c) Medical patients and potential recreational users are the Prototypical customers
d) This opportunity may be more difficult to exploit since only medicinal is currently legal
My experience in researching marijuana laws for debate has allowed me to notice the short following recreational legalization that often follows medicinal legalization
2. Small business organization act of 2019
a) congress.gov
b) Re-organizing small businesses, making it easier to repay debt will allow for current small businesses to thrive and more small businesses to be created
c) Entrepreneurs and small-business owners are the prototypical customers
d) This would likely be easy to exploit since most small businesses are in debt
I often hear much of how small businesses stimulate the economy, so the limited economics knowledge I have brought me to believe in this opportunity.
Friday, September 13, 2019
4A- Forming an opportunity belief
My Belief:
Many students deal with financial insecurity during the first couple of weeks while they are waiting for their financial aid to be disbursed.
A prototypical customer with this issue would be a student at the University of Florida who depends on financial aid to afford living expenses and college expenses during their time here.
Iteration No. 1: Antonio Nazario
Nature of need: Financial aid money for necessities like textbooks can't be satisfied until after disbursement
All the time? or Sometimes?: This problem only affects them during the beginning of a semester in which they are taking classes
How long?: They've been aware of this problem since spring of their freshman year when they began taking degree-seeking classes
When aware?: a year ago
How are you addressing?: They addressed this problem by borrowing money from their parents with the intent to pay them back when the financial aid is disbursed
Are you satisfied?: They felt dissatisfied with this method because it puts an extra financial strain on their parents at the beginning of every semester
Iteration No. 2: Kelsey Malles
Nature of need: Because they have Florida prepaid, their financial aid goes toward paying their rent and gas to get to and from work
All the time? or Sometimes?: This only affects them at the beginning of each semester
How long?: They've known about this issue since high school when their older sibling faced the same issue
When aware?: 4 years ago
How are you addressing?: They often must empty their work paycheck to cover these expenses as they come until financial aid meets them where they are at
Are you satisfied?: They felt dissatisfied with this method because it leaves no margin for error and nothing to fall back on if there is an unexpected emergency expense.
Iteration No. 3: Dean Mangione
Nature of need: Their apartment complex often requires two very close by rent payments, on the move-in day and the first of the next month which is often just over two weeks away causing a great financial strain at the start of the semester.
All the time? or Sometimes?: Only at the beginning of each semester
How long?: Since last semester
When aware?: 9 months ago
How are you addressing?: They borrow money from a friend and pay them back
Are you satisfied?: Not really, they do not like being in debt to people, even for short periods of time
Reflection:
I learned that though this opportunity does affect plenty of students in often similar ways, it is strictly during the beginning of each semester when this problem is prevalent, and nearly non-existent afterwards, until the beginning of the next semester. The most surprising thing to me about this opportunity was the multitude of ways people address the issue personally.
Summary:
Though my belief is still true, and I believe has been made more accurate by backing it with personal student testimony, there isn't that much opportunity since it only occurs during a small period of time. If there were to be some type of solution to this problem, like a cheap loan service that allows students to acquire immediate needs while they await financial aid, it would have to be paired with something else that would allow it to make money for the rest of the year where this is not a problem, or find another monetary related issue to keep it afloat the rest of the year. Entrepreneurs should absolutely mold their ideas to customer need since their primary job is to serve the customer. Their ideas should be malleable in the first place so that they can meet customer need without changing the intent of their idea, that way they can "stay firn" without denying the customer.
Many students deal with financial insecurity during the first couple of weeks while they are waiting for their financial aid to be disbursed.
A prototypical customer with this issue would be a student at the University of Florida who depends on financial aid to afford living expenses and college expenses during their time here.
Iteration No. 1: Antonio Nazario
Nature of need: Financial aid money for necessities like textbooks can't be satisfied until after disbursement
All the time? or Sometimes?: This problem only affects them during the beginning of a semester in which they are taking classes
How long?: They've been aware of this problem since spring of their freshman year when they began taking degree-seeking classes
When aware?: a year ago
How are you addressing?: They addressed this problem by borrowing money from their parents with the intent to pay them back when the financial aid is disbursed
Are you satisfied?: They felt dissatisfied with this method because it puts an extra financial strain on their parents at the beginning of every semester
Iteration No. 2: Kelsey Malles
Nature of need: Because they have Florida prepaid, their financial aid goes toward paying their rent and gas to get to and from work
All the time? or Sometimes?: This only affects them at the beginning of each semester
How long?: They've known about this issue since high school when their older sibling faced the same issue
When aware?: 4 years ago
How are you addressing?: They often must empty their work paycheck to cover these expenses as they come until financial aid meets them where they are at
Are you satisfied?: They felt dissatisfied with this method because it leaves no margin for error and nothing to fall back on if there is an unexpected emergency expense.
Iteration No. 3: Dean Mangione
Nature of need: Their apartment complex often requires two very close by rent payments, on the move-in day and the first of the next month which is often just over two weeks away causing a great financial strain at the start of the semester.
All the time? or Sometimes?: Only at the beginning of each semester
How long?: Since last semester
When aware?: 9 months ago
How are you addressing?: They borrow money from a friend and pay them back
Are you satisfied?: Not really, they do not like being in debt to people, even for short periods of time
Reflection:
I learned that though this opportunity does affect plenty of students in often similar ways, it is strictly during the beginning of each semester when this problem is prevalent, and nearly non-existent afterwards, until the beginning of the next semester. The most surprising thing to me about this opportunity was the multitude of ways people address the issue personally.
Summary:
Though my belief is still true, and I believe has been made more accurate by backing it with personal student testimony, there isn't that much opportunity since it only occurs during a small period of time. If there were to be some type of solution to this problem, like a cheap loan service that allows students to acquire immediate needs while they await financial aid, it would have to be paired with something else that would allow it to make money for the rest of the year where this is not a problem, or find another monetary related issue to keep it afloat the rest of the year. Entrepreneurs should absolutely mold their ideas to customer need since their primary job is to serve the customer. Their ideas should be malleable in the first place so that they can meet customer need without changing the intent of their idea, that way they can "stay firn" without denying the customer.
5A-Identifying Local Opportunities
For this assignment, I chose the Independent Florida Alligator as my local newspaper:
1) City Commission repeals plastic ban, raises GRU rates
- https://www.alligator.org/news/city-commission-repeals-plastic-ban-raises-gru-rates/article_cbb76770-d5e3-11e9-9a5e-2fe54a48b3cd.html
-This article tells the story of companies like Publix fighting back against the plastic bans that the city of Gainesville recently enacted, to preserve company practices.
-The problem in this article is two-ways, corporations would suffer greatly in profits by having to give up single-use plastics, but single-use plastics create obscene amounts of waste that take far too long to break down.
-The main people who suffer from these actions are waste management employees who have to find new ways to deal with the material found in almost every waste bin that takes millions of years to decompose.
2) UF student organizations hold Dorian donation drives
-https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-student-organizations-hold-dorian-donation-drives/article_c8ced48a-d5d4-11e9-8353-6352507f35e4.html
-This article goes into detail as to the student organizations of UF that are holding drives to gather materials to aid in the areas more seriously affected by the most recent tropical system to pass through the Atlantic
-The problem in this article is the destruction caused by the hurricane which in island nations like the Bahamas has left little in its wake, causing mass displacement and a lack of security for food and water.
-The main people who suffer from this issue are citizens of places like the Bahamas, The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean destinations that took the full force of Hurricane Dorian.
3) UF to add external email banner to protect students and faculty
-https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-to-add-external-email-banner-to-protect-students-and/article_eb58c5b6-d443-11e9-af6a-6f3dca9b5792.html
-This article describes the measures being taken by UF faculty to protect students from spam and phishing emails intended to steal their passwords and private information.
-The problem is external sources trying, and sometimes succeeding in acquiring confidential student information that can be used for things like identity theft and privacy invasion.
-Students are most often the targets and victims of this issue which has prompted the university to add extra precautions to prevent students from facing this problem.
4) Students and activists make posters ahead of blue light protest on Fraternity Row
-https://www.alligator.org/news/students-and-activists-make-posters-ahead-of-blue-light-protest/article_6c882e9c-d4e9-11e9-a8c9-83afa3c1f69c.html
-This article brings attention to the upcoming protests students plan to engage in this coming Tuesday to advocate for blue lights on fraternity row.
-The problem here is ensuring that students have access to emergency service in a pinch on all corners of campus, and a highly inhabited are of campus is entirely devoid of them.
-The ones affected by this issue is truly all UF students and those in need of help that may pass through this area, but most specifically fraternity members and sorority members that may frequent this area.
5) Biker caught stealing plants from Satchel's Pizza
-https://www.alligator.org/news/biker-caught-stealing-plants-from-satchel-s-pizza/article_f8110938-d5c1-11e9-b240-63c79cc54825.html
-This article describes the plight of a local pizza shop to stop current and prevent future burglaries.
-The problem in this article is the repeated theft of property from Satchel's pizza by an unknown biker.
-Satchel's pizza is the most affected, however, if this thief isn't apprhended it may lead to future theft that will affect other nearby businesses.
1) City Commission repeals plastic ban, raises GRU rates
- https://www.alligator.org/news/city-commission-repeals-plastic-ban-raises-gru-rates/article_cbb76770-d5e3-11e9-9a5e-2fe54a48b3cd.html
-This article tells the story of companies like Publix fighting back against the plastic bans that the city of Gainesville recently enacted, to preserve company practices.
-The problem in this article is two-ways, corporations would suffer greatly in profits by having to give up single-use plastics, but single-use plastics create obscene amounts of waste that take far too long to break down.
-The main people who suffer from these actions are waste management employees who have to find new ways to deal with the material found in almost every waste bin that takes millions of years to decompose.
2) UF student organizations hold Dorian donation drives
-https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-student-organizations-hold-dorian-donation-drives/article_c8ced48a-d5d4-11e9-8353-6352507f35e4.html
-This article goes into detail as to the student organizations of UF that are holding drives to gather materials to aid in the areas more seriously affected by the most recent tropical system to pass through the Atlantic
-The problem in this article is the destruction caused by the hurricane which in island nations like the Bahamas has left little in its wake, causing mass displacement and a lack of security for food and water.
-The main people who suffer from this issue are citizens of places like the Bahamas, The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean destinations that took the full force of Hurricane Dorian.
3) UF to add external email banner to protect students and faculty
-https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-to-add-external-email-banner-to-protect-students-and/article_eb58c5b6-d443-11e9-af6a-6f3dca9b5792.html
-This article describes the measures being taken by UF faculty to protect students from spam and phishing emails intended to steal their passwords and private information.
-The problem is external sources trying, and sometimes succeeding in acquiring confidential student information that can be used for things like identity theft and privacy invasion.
-Students are most often the targets and victims of this issue which has prompted the university to add extra precautions to prevent students from facing this problem.
4) Students and activists make posters ahead of blue light protest on Fraternity Row
-https://www.alligator.org/news/students-and-activists-make-posters-ahead-of-blue-light-protest/article_6c882e9c-d4e9-11e9-a8c9-83afa3c1f69c.html
-This article brings attention to the upcoming protests students plan to engage in this coming Tuesday to advocate for blue lights on fraternity row.
-The problem here is ensuring that students have access to emergency service in a pinch on all corners of campus, and a highly inhabited are of campus is entirely devoid of them.
-The ones affected by this issue is truly all UF students and those in need of help that may pass through this area, but most specifically fraternity members and sorority members that may frequent this area.
5) Biker caught stealing plants from Satchel's Pizza
-https://www.alligator.org/news/biker-caught-stealing-plants-from-satchel-s-pizza/article_f8110938-d5c1-11e9-b240-63c79cc54825.html
-This article describes the plight of a local pizza shop to stop current and prevent future burglaries.
-The problem in this article is the repeated theft of property from Satchel's pizza by an unknown biker.
-Satchel's pizza is the most affected, however, if this thief isn't apprhended it may lead to future theft that will affect other nearby businesses.
3A My Entrepreneurship Story
One of my most memorable exposures to entrepreneurship was one of the experiences that truly solidified my certainty in what I want to pursue as a career. When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended a career-centered camp called the National Student Leadership Conference, a 9-day camp held at the University of California at Berkeley. My career path for this camp was Biotechnology, and the experience was life-changing to me. We spent day after day engaging in small scale biotech activities, talking to workers in Biotech upstarts in the Bay Area, and ,most impactful to me, participating in leadership workshops where we learned about our personality types, how to work well with others and how to be leaders in our own individual ways in whatever career path we choose.
The honest reason I enrolled in ENT3003 is that it is a part of my course load as an Innovation Academy Student. However, one of the major reasons I selected the UF IA over my other college acceptances (and one of the main reasons I have an interest in this class) is my career path of Biotechnology is an emerging field with the potential to solve biological problems that we have viewed as immutable for centuries, and having innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets I believe will be invaluable in pursuing success in this new field. I hope to gain the tools of an entrepreneurial mindset, most importantly perseverance and learning how to handle the workplace issues I will surely face in the future.
The honest reason I enrolled in ENT3003 is that it is a part of my course load as an Innovation Academy Student. However, one of the major reasons I selected the UF IA over my other college acceptances (and one of the main reasons I have an interest in this class) is my career path of Biotechnology is an emerging field with the potential to solve biological problems that we have viewed as immutable for centuries, and having innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets I believe will be invaluable in pursuing success in this new field. I hope to gain the tools of an entrepreneurial mindset, most importantly perseverance and learning how to handle the workplace issues I will surely face in the future.
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