Mall food delivery business wins competition

By: Amanda Carroll, Staff Writer

Photo by Amanda Carroll/The Towerlight

In a showdown to select TU’s best entrepreneur, finalists from the Big Idea Poster Competition and preliminary round of Tiger Cage came together for the final round of Tiger Cage Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Each contestant or team had five minutes to pitch their business idea to a panel of three judges. Immediately following their pitch was a five minute question-and-answer session where the judges could ask questions to the candidates.

The finalists were Sierra Cossou, Kendall Gant, Trey Mick, Elssa Kenfack, Ken Musika, and a team of Jorge Brito and University of Maryland College Park student Roman Fuentes.

Their business ideas ranged from a local coffee shop in Talbot County, an app that discounted food that was close to expiration, a medical/legal marijuana sommelier and an organization that would provide volunteer trips to under-resourced youth.

After deliberation, the winner of the competition was Sierra Cossou, who pitched a food delivery company called “Mall Mate” that would enable mall workers to order from the food court and get that food delivered right to their store.

The idea of this business came from her own experience as a mall employee. There were times Cossou could not leave her store to grab food.

Cossou described her experience of competing in Tiger Cage as “nothing short of amazing.”

“I got an opportunity to pitch my business in front of judges who are credible and really know the ins and outs of business,” she said. “Of course, I was nervous at first but once I really got going, the nervousness went away and I was completely focused on effectively pitching my business to them.”

In winning the competition, Cossou took home $500, a Tiger Cage trophy, and first pick of a consulting package from The StartUp Nest, EdTech and Student Launch Pad.

“I plan to use the money I won from this competition and the previous one [Big Idea Poster Competition] to invest into my business,” Cossou said. “I felt even more motivated knowing that my pitch was approved by judges who are knowledgeable, experienced and successful.”

The runner-up to the competition was Gant, who received $300 and a second pick of a consulting package.

The judges for the final round of competition were Jason Weisenthal, founder and CEO of WallMonkeys.com, Brian Ellis, director of the Ratcliffe Foundation, and Angie Barnett, President of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland.

In addressing all finalists, Ellis emphasized the importance of an elevator speech for entrepreneurs.

“If we didn’t know what you were doing in the first 30 seconds, you lost us,” he said.

Rounding out a list of top five things to focus on, Ellis advised that entrepreneurs should focus on realistic startup costs, telling a story through their pitch, bringing passion to their project, and considering feasibility.

He cautioned that “most of your businesses will fail,” but that students should not let that discourage them.

Weisenthal advised that any entrepreneur should “be real with yourself.”

He had entrepreneurs ask themselves, “Do I have the skills to execute this idea? Is it reasonably priced? Even if you have the idea, are you the actual right person to pull it off?”

Barnett recommended that students focus on local issues when starting a business.

“Have a relationship and experience of how that problem exists locally,” she said.

For students interested in learning more about entrepreneurship or building a stronger skillset for building a business, they can visit the Student Launch Pad on the fourth floor of Cook Library. With workshops, competitions and an annual Demo Day, the center is a resource to any student.

Tiger Cage was hosted by Towson’s chapter of Enactus, a club that fosters entrepreneurial spirit as members design projects to overcome challenges both on and off-campus.

6 thoughts on “Mall food delivery business wins competition

  1. عزل خزانات هو عملية تطبيق طبقة عازلة على سطح الخزان لمنع تسرب المياه أو المواد السائلة الأخرى منه. يستخدم عزل الخزانات للحفاظ على جودة المحتوى وضمان عدم تلوث المنتجات أو التسرب إلى المحيط.تشمل خزانات العزل تلك المستخدمة في تخزين المياه، والمواد الكيميائية، والوقود، والزيوت، والمنتجات الغذائية، وغيرها. يتم تطبيق العزل على الجوانب الداخلية والخارجية للخزان باستخدام مواد عازلة مثل الألياف الزجاجية، والبولي يوريثان، والمطاط، والأغشية البلاستيكية.توفر عملية عزل الخزانات عدة فوائد. أولاً، فإنها تحمي الخزان من التآكل والتلف الناجم عن التأثيرات البيئية والكيميائية. ثانيًا، تساهم في الحفاظ على درجة حرارة السوائل المخزنة وتقليل فقدان الحرارة أو الحرارة الزائدة. ثالثًا، تمنع تسرب المواد السائلة وتحمي البيئة المحيطة والمياه الجوفية من التلوث.يتطلب عزل الخزانات الخبرة والمهارة لضمان تطبيق العازلة بطريقة صحيحة وفعالة. يجب أن يتم اختيار المواد العازلة المناسبة وفقًا لنوع السوائل المخزنة وظروف التشغيل. يجب أيضًا إجراء فحوصات واختبارات للتأكد من كفاءة العزل وعدم وجود تسربات.باستخدام عملية عزل الخزانات المناسبة، يمكن تحقيق الحفاظ على جودة وسلامة المحتوى وتجنب التلف والتسربات. يوصى بإجراء فحوصات دورية للتأكد من حالة العزل واتخاذ إجراءات الصيانة الوقائية اللازمة لضمان استمرارية العزل بشكل فعال.

    شركة عزل اسطح بجدة

  2. Shipping is a responsible thing to do, especially when it comes to business. As a small business owner, I decided to utilize the logistics services of Trans load warehouse to improve the efficiency of my enterprise. Their professional team helped with packing and shipping of goods, ensuring reliable delivery across the country. Thanks to them, I saved time and money while improving the quality of service for my customers.

  3. Interesting thoughts. Thank you for the article. I used the blog article https://www.mightycall.com/blog/communication-channels/ to improve communications in your business. The article described various communication channels and their examples, which helped me understand which of them are most effective for interacting with clients and partners. I implemented several suggested methods, including the use of instant messengers and video conferencing, which significantly increased the level of feedback and improved internal communications within the team.

  4. علاج اورام الكبد بالاشعة التداخلية

    علاج أورام الكبد بالأشعة التداخلية هو تقنية حديثة وغير جراحية تستهدف تدمير الأورام من خلال توجيه دقيق للأدوات الطبية باستخدام تقنيات التصوير مثل الأشعة المقطعية أو الموجات فوق الصوتية. يشمل هذا العلاج عدة أساليب، منها الترددات الحرارية (RFA)، التبريد (Cryoablation)، والعلاج الكيميائي عبر القسطرة (Chemoembolization). يتميز هذا النوع من العلاج بالدقة العالية، حيث يتم إدخال إبرة أو قسطرة عبر الجلد إلى الورم مباشرة، مما يقلل من الأضرار التي تلحق بالأنسجة السليمة المحيطة.

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