RendezView, an innovative software solution that creates collaborative meeting environments, received first place honors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) 2018 Business Plan Competition at the Waiʻalae Country Club on May 3. Four teams competed for prize packages totaling more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind awards.
The UH Business Plan Competition is an intense, experiential program that provides mentorship, training and resources to UH students and faculty who want to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and start a business venture. Through this competition, participants practice the art of testing the feasibility of a business idea, developing a business plan and pitching it to investors.
First place
Team: RendezView, Alberto Gonzalez Martinez, Dylan Kobayashi and Ryan Theriot
RendezView is an innovative software solution that creates collaborative meeting environments where multiple users work together in real time with multiple files in the same virtual space from their own devices.
Prize package includes $10,000 cash and more than $17,600 value in legal and marketing services, and co-working space membership.
Second place
Team: Rose Gold Gems, Kahiau Machado, Kylie Shimada and Rose Wong
Rose Gold Gems is disrupting the luxury jewelry market by offering affordable 14k solid gold, diamonds and gemstones through a direct to consumer distribution model.
Prize package includes $5,000 cash and $8,000 value in legal and marketing services.
Third place
Team: Swipewrap, Tom Knapp-Ramos and Jonathan Uejbe
Swipewrap is a software service that enhances the digital gifting user experience with personalized, 3D unwrappable gift boxes, which users can unwrap with their fingers on their smartphone.
Prize package includes the $2,500 HiBEAM Bill Richardson Pioneer Prize and $3,000 value in legal and marketing services.
The competition was supported by title sponsors HEI Charitable Foundation and the Hawaiian Electric Companies. Other sponsors included Convergent Law Group, HiBEAM, Pineapple Tweed and the UH Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.
The Business Plan Competition is one of 20-plus programs offered by PACE at the Shidler College of Business. PACE offers mentorship, training and resources to all UH students and faculty. Its programs are designed to encourage entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines and inspire entrepreneurs to move their ideas from conceptualization to commercialization.