St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition winners announced
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
June 1, 2010
by Lisa Watson
A St. Louis pharmaceutical company was awarded $50,000 as well as marketing, legal and accounting services Tuesday in the 2010 St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition.
The competition, sponsored by the St. Louis County Economic Council and Edward Jones, recognized area entrepreneurs for their innovative ideas and job creation. The awards were presented Tuesday afternoon at Edward Jones' offices on Manchester Road.
County Executive Charlie Dooley said small businesses have a large impact on the region's economy, and that companies with less than 25 employees provide most of the area's jobs.
He added that the diversity of the winning companies should encourage other entrepreneurs to compete in the future.
"They're all great ideas; they've all got a niche," Dooley said. "They don't seem like they all came from the same cookie jar."
More than 200 companies participated in the competition, said Denny Coleman, president and CEO of the St. Louis County Economic Council.
Mobius Therapeutic, LLC, won the first place prize. The company is in the process of gaining FDA approval for its sterile kit containing mitomycin-c for use in ophthalmic surgery (eye surgery). Founder Ed Timm said the goal of the business is to improve patient care.
"We had a choice, a specific choice, as to where we wanted to locate," Timm said. He said the company is based in St. Louis because he and his partner, Merle Symes, believe in the values and people of the region. Timm said he is happy to do business in a community that promotes and fosters industry growth.
Second place went to Climb So iLL, an indoor rock climbing company, which will be located south of downtown St. Louis. The facility will include 9,000 square feet of vertical climbing terrain and accommodate all skill levels.
David Chancellor, one of Climb So iLL's founders, encouraged other young entrepreneurs to "dream big and turn your passion into a reality."
He and co-founders Daniel Chancellor and Ian Anderson have toured the pro-climbing circuit and have been featured in Sports Illustrated and GQ. They hope to attract climbers and spectators from across the country, David Chancellor said.
Third-prize winner Mindfull Games creates educational games that are designed to be fun and supplement traditional teaching methods. The company was represented by founder Kristin Edmonds.
Climb So iLL won $30,000 and Mindfull Games was awarded $20,000. Each of the three finalists also will receive in-kind services from participating St. Louis area marketing, accounting and legal firms.
"Here in St. Louis we have everything you need to turn a good idea into a successful entity," said Jim Weddle, managing partner of Edward Jones.
The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, which included Ron Amelin, publisher of St. Louis Small Business Monthly; George Brill, CEO of Talisen Technologies; Steve Broun, managing partner of Capital for Business; Jim Castellano, chairman of RubinBrown; and Sally Roth, area president for Regions Bank.
The initial 226 applicants were narrowed down to a pool of 100 semi-finalists and 6 finalists, who made 20-minute presentations to the judges at the end of May. They were judged on innovation, creativity, feasibility, funding, growth potential and strength of the management team.
This was the first year for the competition, which will run for at least two more years. Dooley said he hopes that other businesses see the benefits that small businesses have for the community and help the competition grow.
"Remember: Every large business started as a small business at one time," Dooley said.
