Startup Weekend 2022 2nd Place Team: Bear Bikes
Last April, the SSU Kricker Innovation Hub hosted its second Techstars Startup Weekend. Over 30 Shawnee State students participated in the 3-day event, pitching startup ideas, forming teams, creating minimum viable products, and pitching in front of a panel of judges.
Second place at Startup Weekend: Shawnee State went to Bear Bikes, a business idea that created a system to rent, borrow, and share bicycles locally in Portsmouth, Ohio. According to team members, the idea was born out of necessity since transportation options are limited around campus.
“We are very limited in our transportation options,” says Oeds de Boer, an international student from the Netherlands. “The Netherlands has a culture of biking, they are extremely common. That’s where our idea originated…the concept was based on a similar model we have in the Netherlands called ‘Swap Bikes’.”
Team members explained that Bear Bikes could scale, partnering with other universities outside of Shawnee State to provide bike lockers at hot spots around towns and cities. Students could rent a bike by using their ID cards, which would be charged a small fee. Renters would also be assigned a return date and be fined if the bike was not returned to its locker on time.
“Bear bikes is an Eco-friendly local transportation solution that all universities could model after in order to provide accessible and affordable transportation to their students,” said Ghaida Bouchaala, an international student from Tunisia.
During the competition, team Bear Bikes worked tirelessly to create their business plan while conducting surveys to gather relevant data from SSU students.
“We started by conducting a survey to better understand the current transportation needs and established that the majority of SSU students are unsatisfied with the current transportation options within Portsmouth,” said Bouchaala. “We then developed a plan for how to best deliver the service.”
In the end, Bear Bikes took home second place. But team members said the experience taught them a slew of other lessons about teamwork, communication, and organization.
“Startup Weekend was an unforgettable experience that left a lasting impression on me,” said Bouchaala. “Working alongside a diverse team of students was truly eye opening and it gave me a new perspective on collaboration and teamwork.”
Team member Anthony McAllister says networking with so many students from diverse backgrounds and majors really prepped him for his career.
“I would highly suggest participants in Startup Weekend work with others they do not know,” said McAllister. “Work with an idea you find interesting. The experience is all about learning and exploration.”
This year’s Startup Weekend kicks off March 31st. Students can register here.