Assignment 5A

Identifying Local Opportunities

• "University of Florida grads will walk a smaller stage, upsetting some "by Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.
• https://www.gainesville.com/sports/20180910/university-of-florida-grads-will-walk-smaller-stage-upsetting-some
• Published September 10th, 2018
• Description: The University of Florida has enacted a new plan for commencement ceremonies that will begin in December. Graduates will no longer walk across the stage in the O'Connell Center. Instead, graduates will meet in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and then have their individual graduations in ceremonies with their individual colleges. However, the four largest colleges within the University will be holding their individual ceremonies in the O'Connell Center. This change is an effort to make graduation ceremonies shorter but it has been met with resistance from students, specifically those in smaller colleges.
• The Problem: Students in smaller colleges will no longer be able to walk across the stage in the O'Connell Center. Instead they will be downgraded to ceremonies in the Reitz Union, the Florida Gym, and the University Auditorium. These students feel that this change is unfair and that they should be able to graduate in the traditional way.
• The People: Students who are students of numerous colleges that have less students that have to graduate in a place other than the O'Connell Center.

• "Duval County Schools again outspend revenue" by Denise Amos of the Florida Times Union.
• http://www.jacksonville.com/news/20180910/duval-county-schools-again-outspend-revenue
• Published September 10th, 2018
• Description: Duval Schools have spent more money than they have taken in as general revenue. Florida sets funding for school districts based on enrollment. Meaning that the more students enrolled in Duval schools, the more state and federal funding. However, Duval has been losing a drastic amount of students to charter schools and therefore are losing millions of dollars in funding. This is one of the biggest reasons for their overspending. Duval is also utilizing older buildings, which are more costly to operate. Instruction costs and student support services also rose in the past year.
• The Problem: Duval schools have outspend their revenue resulting in a deficit. This financial struggle could eventually result in the closing of many schools in the Duval district and the influx of students to charter schools in the area.  
• The People: Staff of Duval county schools, parents, and students attending these schools, tax payers in the Duval area.

• "Beach erosion causes concern at Porpoise Point" by Stuart Korfhage of the St. Augustine Record. 
• http://www.staugustine.com/news/20180904/beach-erosion-causes-concern-at-porpoise-point
• Published September 4th, 2018
• Description: Rough seas have resulted in extensive erosion in the Porpoise Point area of Vilano Beach. This could potentially lead to a temporary bans on vehicles driving on the beach. Temporary beach access should be able to be retained, with full closure only happening for a few hours a day. 
• The Problem: Vilano Beach is experiencing severe erosion to the point where the beach may have to be temporarily closed to vehicles.
• The People: Tourists visiting Vilano beach and the residents of Vilano Beach.

• "Thanks to e-cigarettes, students are smoking in class. Miami Beach wants it to stop" by Kyra Gurney and Colleen Wright of the Miami Herald.
• https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article217951685.html
• Published September 11th, 2018
• Description: At Miami Beach Senior High, students are now smoking e-cigarettes in the bathroom, during lunch, and are even sneaking puffs while a teacher's back is turned. E-cigarettes have a sleek design and unique flavors, they have become a fad among teenagers in the U.S. The use of e-cigarettes has grown by 900 percent. Federal law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of eighteen. However, Miami Beach students report that students often order the e-cigarettes online and use a fake ID to buy them and then go to a smoke shop that won't check their ID. Aleksandr Boskner has proposed cracking down on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, this would include online retailers. 
• The Problem: The increase in e-cigarette use in minors could erase the previous years of effort to curb smoking among young people. E-cigarette use is not only illegal for minors, but it is harming their health and increasing their chance of smoking conventional cigarettes. 
• The People: Students, staff, and faculty of Miami Beach Senior High School.

• "Flagler Beach marsh restoration plan stirs controversy" by Dinah Voyles Pulver of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
• http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180909/flagler-beach-marsh-restoration-plan-stirs-controversy
• Description: Along forty acres of coastal marsh along the Intracoastal Highway, coastal restoration scientists believe that the habitat needs to be changed. The proposal is to level old spoil piles and scraping the dirt into over one hundred miles of ditching to make the area more shallow and marsh-like. This proposal is not sitting well with local fishermen who would be impacted by the transformation of this habitat.
• The Problem: The habitat of many animals could be potentially disrupted with this restoration project which is why many advocates are upset about this proposal.
• The People: Individuals that live and work in the area along the Intracoastal highway and the restoration scientists carrying out this project.

Assignment 4A

Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe there is a need for healthier eating habits among college students. There is definitely a lack of healthy and affordable eating options for students. Specifically, I believe that I could provide healthier foods that are also a breeze to meal prep, thus saving time and money for students. This need is not new and there are many restaurants that provide healthier food. However, through meal prepping healthier food options, a student can spend the same amount of money on dinner for a week in comparison to one night of dinner. I am about 85% that this opportunity exists.

#1: College Freshman currently on the campus meal plan

• Where do you purchase your food?
• "Dining halls, restaurants, and vending machines on campus."
• Have you ever thought about how eating healthier food could benefit you?
• "Yes, I have. However it is more convenient to pick up food rather than exert effort preparing food myself.
• Did you know that fast food, soda, and processed foods contain additives that are unhealthy for you?
• "Yes, I know that many of the foods that I consume are quite unhealthy, but I don't think I have another choice than to eat these foods."
• What healthy foods do you currently eat?
• "Fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas."
• How would you feel about meal prepping healthier meal options? 
• "I think this is a good idea, but I do not have a kitchen in my dorm and I do not know how to cook."

Reflection: Many freshman college students struggle to find places on campus that offer genuinely healthy food. They also run into more roadblocks when it comes to cooking their own meals because they live in a dorm without a kitchen. 

#2: College Upperclassman off campus living in an apartment 

• Where do you purchase your food?
• "A combination of grocery stores and restaurants on and around campus."
• Have you ever thought about how eating healthier food could benefit you?
• "Yes, I often think about how eating healthy foods could possibly make me feel better as a whole."
• Did you know that fast food, soda, and processed foods contain additives that are unhealthy for you?
• "I have known this for a very long time, but the convenience of these foods keeps me and other college students vulnerable to consuming them."
• What healthy foods do you currently eat?
• "Fruits such as apples and peaches and vegetables such as green beans and corn."
• How would you feel about meal prepping healthier meal options? 
• "I think this is a great idea, I live off campus in an apartment. So, I could easily use my kitchen to prepare my meals but I do not know how to cook."

Reflection: Moving off campus into an apartment with a kitchen definitely affords students more of opportunities to cook. However, without the motivation to eat healthier foods, many students will continue eating badly.

#3: Graduate Student living off campus in an apartment with a lack of time

• Where do you purchase your food?
• "I mostly shop for my groceries and occasionally eat out."
• Have you ever thought about how eating healthier food could benefit you?
• "Yes, I have. That is why I prepare my own meals and avoid processed foods."
• Did you know that fast food, soda, and processed foods contain additives that are unhealthy for you?
• "Yes, I know how additives in food can affect my health, which is why I have taken control of my own health. 
• What healthy foods do you currently eat?
• "I eat an array of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins that are all unprocessed and fresh."
• How would you feel about meal prepping healthier meal options? 
• "I currently meal prep my dinners for the week using fresh ingredients and saves me time on cooking throughout the week. 

Reflection: Students who live on their own and take charge of their health are an obvious market for this opportunity belief. This student is a prime example of the way of living that I would love to expose the other two students to.

Summary: I do believe that the opportunity belief is still there but the audience for this belief might be smaller than I thought. Many college students are stuck in their ways and being able to convert these individuals to a healthier way of living would definitely be a challenge. Many people have their own way of satisfying this unmet need and still consume fruits and vegetables. My need slowly morphed into using healthy foods, which all three interviewees eat, to make meal prep dinners that save time and money. I believe that this need is extremely accurate with how expensive college already is before adding living expenses. I think that entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities to customer feedback because if they didn't, they wouldn't be satisfying their unmet need. But entrepreneurs should always remember to stay true to their original vision and values. 

Assignment 3A

Your Entrepreneurship Story

I have always been infatuated with health and wellness. However, I didn't start exercising and eating healthier food until my freshman year of college. I woke up one morning and decided that I was tired of just surviving my days, I wanted to start thriving. I aimed to lose a few pounds and just feel healthier. So I started meal prepping my dinners with healthy ingredients and exercising regularly. I heard about a woman named Danielle Gertner through three of my friends who were her "Grindterns". She owns a health and wellness company based out of Gainesville. Her motto is "Own Your Grind" and I was instantly drawn to her message. I heard her speak at an event called IdeaCon on campus this spring and her energy and passion was evident and inspiring. I knew that I wanted to intern for her and help her grow her business and spread her message. Meeting Danielle and working for her has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I will always continue to push the boundaries, challenge myself, and own my grind. 

I am an Innovation Academy Gator and part of my course requirements for my minor in Innovation is taking ENT3003. In addition to fulfilling my course requirements, I aim to establish a deeper understanding of how to market and sell my ideas. I believe that this course is about more than just learning how to start and operate a business. The integral center of this course is to teach students how to brainstorm intuitive solutions and then describe them to audiences of all kinds.

Assignment 2A

Bug List
1. When people at the gym sit at a machine on their phones instead of using the machine. 

WHY it exists: Many people are often excited to have gotten their hands on a machine and check their phones quickly and end up getting distracted.

2. How overpopulated campus is during the fall semester

WHY it exists: Most students return to school in the fall semester and every inch of campus is now overpopulated in comparison to the spring and summer semesters.

3. People who bike on the sidewalk

WHY it exists: People ride their bikes on the sidewalk to avoid riding on the street in the bike lane.

4. Dirty dishes in the sink

WHY it exists: Instead of washing their dishes as soon as they are done with them, some people  would rather avoid exerting effort by washing them immediately. 

5.How slow the elevators are in Beaty Towers East 

WHY it exists: Beaty Towers East is an old building and the elevators are old as well so the elevators take longer to travel from floor to floor. 

6. Dunkin Donuts’ shorter hours during the summer semester

WHY it exists: Campus is less populated so Dunkin has shorter hours because they have fewer customers. 

7. People who are homebodies and refuse to go on adventures 

WHY it exists: Some people would rather be at home than pay for outside activities. 

8. When people complain about school when their education was paid for by their parents. 

WHY it exists: A sense of entitlement exists and many students complain about school and other expenses when their parents are actually the ones dishing out the money. 

9. People who lack manners

WHY it exists: Some people were either never taught how to say 'please' and 'thank you' or they simply do not put these manners into practice.

10. Racist people

WHY it exists:Many people believe that the color of a person's skin matters and that one race is inferior to others.

11. People who talk behind your back. 

WHY it exists: Sometimes people feel the need to speak about someone to other people rather than saying things to someone's face.

12. How expensive coffee is

WHY it exists: Coffee is a popular drink, especially among college students, so the price is higher because companies know that they can charge higher prices.

13. People who scuff their feet as they walk

WHY it exists: People think that lifting their feet is too much work, so they scuff their feet while walking.

14. People who don't cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze

WHY it exists: Some people do not cover their sneezes or coughs and spread their germs everywhere.

15. People who say "no offense" as if it downplays anything insulting they say. 

WHY it exists: When people insult you, they feel guilty and try to say "no offense"to make the statement sound less cruel.

16.When people make quick judgments without bothering to get to know someone

WHY it exists: It's easier to assume something about someone than to actually exert time and effort into getting to know someone.

17. People who do not use their turn signal 

WHY it exists: Some people think that using their turn signal isn't necessary and that people can just guess that they are making a turn.

18. Complainers who always find something to complain about

WHY it exists: Some people will never see the bright side of things and always find a reason to be unsatisfied or unhappy.

19. Walking through Turlington and being harassed by people handing out flyers 

WHY it exists: Students are trying to drum up more involvement for their organization so they feel they need to relentlessly bug students walking through Turlington.

20. Texting and driving

WHY it exists: People think that a text can't wait and they need to reply right away, even when driving.

Reflection: This assignment became increasingly difficult as I continued to list the things that bug me. It was a challenge for me because I am not used to looking at the world in such a negative way.