Innovation Whiteboard Challenge Winner: Jennifer Burrell and The Frock Shop
When Jennifer Burrell saw her wedding dress hanging in her closet one day, the joyful memory of walking down the aisle was tinged with a bit of guilt for having spent more than $1,000 on something she wore only once for little more than an hour. Burrell turned that buyer’s remorse into a winning business idea. At Friday’s annual Awards Luncheon at the NMBAA National Conference, Burrell was announced as the winner of the $10,000 prize in the Innovation Whiteboard Challenge business competition. Her company, the Frock Shop, gives women access to a money-saving service that grooms and male prom dates have long had: renting formal attire. The online shop offers wedding gowns, evening gowns and cocktail dresses for rent for as little as $50. Moderated by broadcaster Ed Gordon, the Friday morning Whiteboard Challenge featured five contestants who had five minutes each to present their ideas to a panel of judges. State Farm provided title sponsorship of this year’s event, while Wells-Fargo was supporting sponsor. Judging the contest were Eric Holoman, president of Magic Johnson Enterprises; Dr. Randal Pinkett, founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, and winner of the NBC reality show business competition "The Apprentice"; and Tennille Robinson, small business editor for Black Enterprise. Before the contest got under way, 2009 winner Curtis Jewell made an appearance, remarking that, more than his own talent or know-how, he credits his business success to his ability to take advantage of each opportunity he encountered. Another speaker was Janice Bryant Howroyd, chairman and CEO of the staffing and human resources company the Act*1 Group, who advised participants that an indispensable ingredient for business success is honesty, by which she means "being absolutely certain that you are ready for what you are asking others to invest in." Also competing in the Whiteboard Challenge were Douglas Wiggins, who presented Body Quest Ice Cream, a protein-rich product that can be used in treating patients with kidney failure, burns and cancer; Rita Bautista, who pitched Medstories.org, a Web site designed to generate a database of feedback from patients and caregivers on the effectiveness of healthcare products; Muhammad Umar, whose business concept, the Barber Solution, is an electronic appointment scheduling system designed to decrease waiting time; and Marilyn Harris (who also competed in 2009), offering up a membership-based online business portal called womenveteransbusiness.org, which would offer military veterans-turned-entrepreneurs access to resources, training opportunities and networking with other veteran entrepreneurs. NBMBAA’s Entrepreneurial Institute is sponsored by State Farm (Founding sponsor) and Wells Fargo (Supporting sponsor). |
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