Code Kit PRO's Pedi-PRO platform resuscitation organizer became
the third winner of Gannon University's Technology Business
Accelerator business pitch event this morning. The winning team
went home with a $10,000 check, legal assistance from MacDonald
Illig Jones & Britton LLP, along with six months of residency,
coaching and strategic mentoring from the Erie Technology Incubator
(ETI), which is located in Gannon's new Center for Business
Ingenuity at 900 State Street.
Tom Tillman, the company's chief operating officer, and Paul
Malaspina, M.D., the inventor and developer of the Pedi-PRO,
participated in the Accelerator program and co-presented their
pitch with John Maloney, the company's vice president of sales. The
team, along with 13 other entrepreneurs, presented 12 unique
concepts and businesses to a panel of five judges during the last
class meeting of the Integrated Business Transformation program's
Accelerator, which concluded on Wednesday evening.
Jeff Parnell, executive director of ETI, said, "The judges were
not only excited about the Pedi-PRO's market potential- which they
feel is extraordinary-but also with their team's ability to execute
a very structured sales strategy. We are pleased to join the judges
in congratulating Code Kit PRO and the other three finalists for
this recognition."
The four finalists, who also included Stacey Orr, creator of
Stinky Yogi™ fragrances; Nick and Sally Marinelli, developers of
the Bungee Rack™ utility strap organizer; and Todd Scalise, who is
launching MOSAIXTM, a customizable interior/exterior design
product; were also recognized at today's event.
"In addition to the finalists, we commend every Accelerator
participant for their dedication to the process over the past eight
weeks," Parnell added. "Entrepreneurship is hard work, but the
enthusiasm of this group makes it clear that a number of
high-potential ideas are being conceived and developed right here
in Northwest Pennsylvania."
Gannon's fourth Accelerator training session will begin
September 16 at 6:30 p.m., culminating in the Awards Reception on
November 5. Applications for technology-oriented businesses, ideas
and concepts are now being accepted online here.
The Accelerator integrates resources from Gannon's College of
Engineering and Business, Small Business Development Center, and
Erie Technology Incubator, and was created to give participating
entrepreneurs an opportunity to test a new concept, idea or line of
business through the support of the Pennsylvania Department of
Community and Economic Development's Discovered in PA, Developed in
PA (D2PA) program, which was established to build capacity to
support Pennsylvania businesses and to spur creativity and
innovation in the provision of economic development services. Last
fiscal year, the D2PA program supported initiatives tied to growing
life sciences, advanced manufacturing, business incubators, and
education, workforce and economic opportunity
collaborations