The Heider College of Business’s Entrepreneurship Club hosted its second annual JayTank in the Harper Ballroom on March 29.
JayTank is Creighton University’s non-affiliated adaptation of Shark Tank, where Creighton students who have created their own companies pitch their ideas and ask for assistance in the next steps of their business aspirations. Five companies pitched their products to compete for the first-place prize of $3,000.
This year’s winner was Rian Jacobs and her company, BioBobbers. Jacobs is a freshman in the Heider College of Business. BioBobbers’ goal is to reduce waste in waterways by producing biodegradable fishing bobbers and is “hooked on sustainability.”
Jacobs founded BioBobbers because of her love of fishing.
“Fishing wasn’t just a hobby, it was a way of life,” Jacobs said.
After noticing that she was losing a large amount of fishing bobbers per year, she had a vision during her senior year of high school to reduce the amount of plastic being left in waterways. After initially pitching it at her high school, she continued her mission at Creighton University with the Entrepreneurship Club. Her mission is to preserve the water she grew up with.
“Only one month ago today did sustainable bobbers hit the market, and those were BioBobbers,” Jacobs said.
Second place went to Automation Rabbit, founded by Anush Samiev, a junior in the Heider College of Business. Automation Rabbit offers AI-driven solutions that reduce processes that businesses and workers spend time on.
“Our goal is to eliminate inefficiencies, allowing teams to focus on high-value work while automation handles the rest,” Anush said.
The panelists at JayTank included John Blazek; a Creighton University pharmacy graduate of JMB Capital, LLC; Scott and Cindy Heider of the Heider Family Foundation; Gabi Keaton, a Creighton graduate of Proven Ventures; and Taylor Stormberg, a Creighton graduate of Pando Peo.
Rian Jacobs won $3,000 to assist with growth in the production of BioBobbers, and Anush Samiev won $1,500 to grow Automation Rabbit.
“I was shocked; I’m still in shock. It finally felt like my hard work had paid off,” Jacobs said.
“This team stood out for their creativity, clarity and potential to create real impact. Their pitch hit all of the marks and left us all fired up for what’s next,” the judges said when announcing BioBobbers as the firstplace winner.
The other companies pitching included Apex Drinks, Roll Call and TAPin.
Apex Drinks was founded by Jack O’Neill, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. Apex Drinks is an energy drink focused on the health of the consumer by providing long-term, sustainable energy.
Brendan Bouchie and Grayson Rockenbach, seniors in the Heider College of Business, pitched their app Roll Call, designed to allow customers to find martial arts gyms in their area. It tailors the consumer’s preferences to find the perfect fit.
TAPin, founded by Heider College of Business seniors Jonny Wall and Brad Davison, is a portable water filter designed to fit over any faucet.
Prior to hearing the companies’ pitches, JayTank hosted a mixer where the event’s attendees could learn about other student-founded companies and enjoy an assortment of appetizers, allowing the student entrepreneurs to network for their businesses.