New Venture and
Alumni News

Recent McGuire Entrepreneurship Program Alums Start New Ventures

September 11, 2009

Four student teams from the McGuire Class of 2009 have launched ventures based on their year-long coursework in the McGuire Program.

Josh Hottenstein and Myles Lewis launched Verdant Earth Technologies on July 1, 2009.  Verdant Earth received the top prize in the 2009 Venture Competition Showcase.   Verdant Earth Technologies develops agricultural productions systems, based upon controlled environment agricultural practices, designed to fit inside a standard shipping container. The systems allow customers the ability to increase crop yield efficiently and consistently with a minimum of 10 times increase over field production. The systems allow growing in non-traditional environments such as the loading dock behind a grocery store. Verdant Earth Technologies is currently located at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. Their web site is www.VerdantEarthTech.com.

Founded by McGuire graduate student alumni Dan Duncan, Marcelo Pereira, Allen Wang, and Jian Wang, BigfootHD is an e-commerce platform for licensing high quality royalty-free HD stock video footage to editors and producers who produce commercials, documentaries, marketing presentations, videos for tradeshows, electronic billboards, internet ads, educational DVDs, government training videos, etc.  The company provides HDimages for visual storytellers by leveraging visual assets of independent HD cinematographers from around the globe to provide a one-stop source for HD footage consumers.   BigfootHD won several competitions throughout the year and were finalists in the tradeshow and final presentation competition. Their website is www.bigfoothd.com

Todd Anchondo and Cyrus Khosh-Chashm have founded InCycle Water, a rainwater harvesting company that provide products to collect, store, and reuse rainwater for commercial and residential uses.

Klint LeBlang and Kevin Akat have founded K&K Tutoring, a tutoring and education consulting company that provides UA students with business-related tutoring, with an emphasis on preparing undergraduates for professional admission to the Eller College of Management.  Additional services include hourly tutoring, test reviews, study material, guidance for scheduling, and general consulting for undergraduate student success. Klint LeBlang graduated from the 2009 undergraduate program, while Kevin Akat is currently enrolled in the Program.   Their website is www.kktutoring.com.

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