Venture Concept 2

Venture Concept

Children with autism have limited spaces where they can completely be who they are, in a comfortable environment and around people who support them. Many children do not understand autism. With my playground, I wish to raise awareness and provide that space of playful fun for children with autism in the community. The market will be defined geographically and demographically to communities with a high number of autistic children with little resources. Generally, I am targeting families of a lower-income status. In every school, from elementary to high school, there are certain special needs programs. It can be offered in school but there are limited places designated for autism children outside of school and in the community. If we think about what happens in their day after school or during school breaks, there is not a place where they can play and interact with other children. Parents want spaces like this for their children. The window of opportunity will be there forever unless technology can switch around chromosomes, and I do not see that happening for ethical reasonings and not being as technologically advanced either. 

The non-profit organization to raise money for a playground designed for kids with autism is incrementally innovative. It will be innovative for certain communities but it has been done before. The playground will give children with autism a safe space to interact with other children who have autism and play with games of their liking. Every child with autism is a little different so there will be different types of games involving textures, colors, technology and levels of interaction. I will seek out a board of directors with the same passion, then reach out to the local legislature and create a huge fundraising campaign throughout the community. I imagine the park would require different permits, designers and builders. So, the whole project is projected to cost around 25k. 

I believe that parents who have kids with autism will take their kids to this playground because they are aware other kids can feel nervous around unfamiliarity and because they can connect with other parents. I don’t see the switch being a hard decision. There are no competitors, just different playgrounds within the community. I would create this playground in a community with a higher number of autism kids so there is an actual demand. I can see other kids coming to this park, or making fun of this park because they do not understand autism. Overall, this would be a safe space. 

For those who have any issues with the playground, they could always reach out to the non-profit organization. I would want to raise awareness and work with my customer as much as possible because it is ultimately, for their kids to feel safe and have fun. I would turn to the local legislature, builders that have build playgrounds for autism before and volunteers who share this passion for help. I believe this project will take 50+ volunteers and builders to accomplish.

The most important resource for the non-profit, would be collecting the money it takes to create this playground. I would focus on the research to show there is a high demand for my playground and look for people who care about helping children with autism. If this playground works out successfully, I would do the same in multiple communities that have a high number of autistic children with little resources for them. After launching and creating a few playgrounds, I would want to pass this non-profit off to someone with similar passions. It is also good to get a fresh perspective on companies to help it grow. 

I did not complete the previous venture concept so I could not provide answers to questions 2 and 3.

Final Reflection

1) Read through your posts from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

The highs of this class are the easier assignments and the assignments that were also fun. I would consider the assignments talking about the thought processes and the why's of our product and company to be fun assignments. The moments of drudgery are obviously the moments where I decided to NOT do assignments and compromise my grade, and the assignments that I SHOULD have completed because there was a part two. The moments of dread, in my opinion, are the book assignments and the nitty-gritty details of each component of my company/product. I can confidently say, I am not interested in entrepreneurship 

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

Even though I did not enjoy the book assignments, I did learn something from them and would consider having gained the most formative experience. The experience I would remember the most is the entire class because I realized I do not want to be a business owner. I can see myself in manager positions, but not the creator or owner. The most joyous experience I received was going out into the community and interviewing people.  I am proud that I passed the class because there were moments that I felt like withdrawing. I also would like to say, this class is fairly easy and I was especially lazy this semester, unfortunately. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

I do not see myself as an entrepreneur. I can understand the entrepreneurial mindset but I do not wish to become one. 

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

I would tell a future student to pack up all their real-life issues and put it aside for this course. There is a lot of work to do, but it can be fairly easy if you aren't lazy and have good time management skills. Just do it. Schedule out your life and complete the work. Whatever mindset you are in, think about different ways that make you productive so that you can apply that to this course. 

Once you have written your post, please include a picture (for illustration!).

Reading Reflection 3

The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, Guy Kawasaki

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The general theme of this book is how to build your social media platform for your business/influence. The book shows step by steps to help you get to the place you want to be. 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

I already have some background knowledge of how to do social media from a business standpoint, however, I enjoyed imagining how I could share my passionate non-profit through Instagram, facebook and different fundraising platforms. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I would have the class create a facebook or instagram page for their business. There would need to be three posts talking about the mission or CSR (corporate social responsibility), goals and future plans, and how people can get involved. There would need to be hashtags and fake contact information. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

My biggest AHA moment was learning about the different situations people can get themselves into because of their social media. Employers look at social media now and if they see something they don't like, they aren't hiring you. 

Your Exit Strategy

1) Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children?

After I receive the funds for the playground built for children with autism, we would look into expansion. However, I think that eventually, I would find someone else to run the non-profit.  Whether it is a family member, organization or company. I would want someone to take it even further than I did. 

2) Why have you selected this particular exit strategy?

I selected this exit strategy because I think it is important to get a fresh perspective for any type of business and I would hope the best for my non-profit. 

3) How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?

I think that my exit strategy encourages me to make my non-profit the best it can be before I do pass it to another person. It influenced me to find the opportunity that someone could give a fresh perspective on the company. I would have to build the non-profit up enough to receive growth from another person. 

Celebrating Failure

1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester and failed each time. 

During Summer A, my team and I failed at Catalyst for the Innovation Academy. We developed our idea to be judged within six weeks. The theme was early childhood development, and we had to come up with solutions to problems within the field. My team and I believed wholeheartedly in our product and vision, none of us expected to not get an award. Personally, I failed at creating an appealing poster and had to scrap it. Some of my teammates failed at participating. Other teammates failed at losing themselves within the project because it wasn't a winning idea. We all failed at communication and teamwork, and possibly if we took emotions out of the project, we could have had a better shot at receiving an award. 

2) Tell us what you learned from it.  

I learned that I have to leave emotions out of projects and try to remain a neutral teammate. I definitely felt passionate about my efforts but in the end, it was not good for the overall project. I also learned, and this might sound bad, that freshman think they know everything. After a few years of college, I learned that to take constructive criticism wisely and sometimes that just takes maturity. Especially at UF, not freshman all have failed yet. I will from now on, learn about peoples weaknesses and strengths before getting into a project. 

3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months ago?

Looking at teammates strengths and weaknesses before you start a project is good to assess how each person can utilize themselves into a project. Also, learning to see things for the bigger picture, instead of through emotions is a good way to avoid conflict, too. We handled the failure to the best of our ability. We simply packed up the table with our belongings and never spoke to each other again. Personally, I don't mind it. None of us were friends beforehand and I think that by the end of it, we didn't care to become friends. This class confirmed for me that failures will lead you into the right direction. However, I have always been up for a challenge so I think I am just as willing to take a risk now, as I was a few months ago. 

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Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. CARD – CENTER FOR AUTISM & RELATED DISABILITIES

Rare because it is only Florida but also non-substitutable because there are seven: seven state-funded, university-based outreach and support centers in Florida dedicated to 

Valuable: optimizing the potential of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), dual sensory impairment, sensory impairments with other disabling conditions, and related disabilities.

Inimitable because of:

• Individualized Client and Family Support
• Family and Professional Training
• Public Education and Awareness and Community Outreach
• Programmatic Consultation and Technical Assistance

2. DISABILITY RIGHTS FLORIDA

Valuable because it protects civil rights but non-substitutable because there are eight Disability Rights Florida is a not-for-profit corporation that has authority and responsibility under eight federal grants to protect your civil rights.

 Rare: Services are free and confidential. 

Inimitable: Any Floridian with a disability is eligible to receive Disability Rights Florida services.

3. FLORIDA DIAGNOSTIC & LEARNING RESOURCES SYSTEM

Rare: FDLRS provides diagnostic, instructional, and technology support services to district exceptional education programs and families of students with
disabilities. 

Inimitable and Valuable: Service centers include 19 centers that directly serve school districts in the areas of Child Find, Parent Services, Human Resource Development (HRD), and Technology.

Non-substitutable: In addition, the FDLRS Network also includes 6 Multi-disciplinary Centers who focus on in-depth evaluations and several statewide projects offering specialized services.

4. Disney World offers a Disability Access Service Pass 

Rare: This is offered to autism children

Inimitable: This happens at Disney Only

Non-substitutable - Other theme parks offer specials to Autism children

Value: Disney is a big name and are more likely to draw any type of customer, so this is especially appealing 

5. Legoland rolls out the red carpet for their autistic guests

Rare: makes autism children feel like a movie star

Inimitable: Only happens at Legoland

Non-substitutable: other theme parks offer specials to autism children

Value: brings the extra special touch

6. Grants.gov is a good resource to expand the financial capital of the non-profit. 

Rare: helps non-profits search for grants

Inimitable: you can search for a specific grant

non-substitutable: you can search for any grant

Value: you can get free money

7. Autism Speaks - an educational resource for parents who have kids with autism
Rare- can be a great starter tool for parents
NOT Inimitable but is non-substitutable: it actually has a lot of similar websites
value: a trusted source

8.  https://www.autismspeaks.org/provider/sensory-park-and-playground
This is a playground that is similar to what I want to create.
Rare: is the only autism park in Pennsylvania
inimitable: can be done with the same concept but make it unique
non-substitutable: many parks globally like this
value: can be helpful for the community  

8. 

Elevator Pitch 3

https://youtu.be/2_ltmKuyZag

A reflection on the feedback you received from your last pitch. 

After reading my feedback, I decided to add a few more sentences of a reflection to my pitch. Other than that, I got good feedback from my classmates. 

What did you change, based on the feedback?

I added a little bit more research because I noticed that people said they were curious about the subject of my product.