Masters in Innovation & Entrepreneurship student Alina Wu and the other members of her team were connected immediately with Jaune Odombrown from the ANTrepreneur Center who worked with her and the rest of the BikeZero team to go through multiple iterations of their business.
Coming from a hard-working family that runs their own business, Alina was determined to make the most of her time and participated in the ANTrepreneur’s E2 (Experiencing Entrepreneurship) co-curricular program where she learned what mistakes to avoid, how to overcome challenges, and ideate upon her original idea and pivot when needed.
Alina credits Jaune’s support as pivotal in her team’s ability to progress as quickly as they have. Within a three-month span of time, BikeZero went from concept, to a minimum viable product, and then to its first few sales generating $2,500 of revenue and an opportunity to present and compete at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.
“Jaune kept us on the necessary path through practical insight from his own experiences as an entrepreneur. What really made the difference between working with him instead of someone who may be a CEO or COO at a larger company is that he showed us how to do things with a lean budget and then connected us to other people when we needed some different types of advice or expertise,” said Wu.
Through collaboration and partnership with Blackstone Launchpad Powered by Techstars, Division of Undergraduate Education, and Beall Applied Innovation, the ANTrepreneur Center played a critical role in preparing the BikeZero team for the CES competition.
Out of approximately one hundred university startup applicants, only six teams were chosen from across the country by Techstars and three teams by Blackstone Launchpad to compete at CES.
The competition was comprised of thirteen teams chosen out of hundreds of startups that applied. Each student startup then had a chance to do a fast-pitch on a CES stage to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs in the consumer products space.
Judged upon a criteria of quality, concept, and business model, BikeZero’s product, the Ring, a micro-mobility electric bike, secured them a third place position within the competition.
Beyond the competition, this experience afforded them an opportunity to engage with investors, faculty, technology leaders, and other student entrepreneurs from around the world.
“You can’t be ready for everything, you just need to do it, this is what me and my team learned from working with Jaune and the ANTrepreneur Center,” said Wu.
Whether you’re just curious to experience the process of entrepreneurship, have an idea burning inside you, or have already formed a company, the ANTrepreneur Center is the place to explore success strategies, take action towards your dream and to be part of a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Learn more at antrepreneur.uci.edu or stop by at 233 Pereira Dr, Irvine, CA 92612.
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