Matching Items (2)
Description
This honors thesis aims to outline and present a business plan for a start-up. Working with the Founders Lab, as part of the W. P. Carey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, three students identified an issue in their community and brainstormed an idea to form a solution. The problem identified

This honors thesis aims to outline and present a business plan for a start-up. Working with the Founders Lab, as part of the W. P. Carey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, three students identified an issue in their community and brainstormed an idea to form a solution. The problem identified was in the textile industry where fabric waste created as a byproduct of production, harms the environment as it ends up in landfills, instead of being recycled. In an effort to create a circular economy, the start-up, Circular Comfort, came into fruition. The mission of this business is to reduce waste by repurposing fabric scraps into products that can be marketed and sold. The first product was created, a beach bag, out of fabric scraps gathered from a fashion incubator. The following will outline the formation of the start-up including research, business plan, market strategy, and the overall journey. By working with a thesis director, the team was able to prepare this pitch deck in hopes to combat an ongoing problem in our community.
ContributorsKattan, Nadeen (Co-author) / Curran, Chris (Co-author) / Thompson, Cassandra (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Sebold, Brent (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description

In arid environments such as Arizona, agricultural producers are burdened by constraints placed on them by inhospitable weather and limited access to water and fertile soil when attempting to grow produce. Farms in the arid Southwest often have to build greenhouses to overcome such constraints; however, such greenhouses may be

In arid environments such as Arizona, agricultural producers are burdened by constraints placed on them by inhospitable weather and limited access to water and fertile soil when attempting to grow produce. Farms in the arid Southwest often have to build greenhouses to overcome such constraints; however, such greenhouses may be relatively space, water, and pesticide intensive and often have demanding maintenance needs and overhead costs. In addition, many current agricultural practices exhaust land resources disparagingly, leading to irreversible environmental degradation. In an effort to improve agricultural production for those limited by weather and resource constraints while simultaneously increasing sustainability in land, resource and pesticide use, we have created Valleyponics, a hydroponic growth services company centered around creating a minimal farming footprint. The company uses a consultative services approach, leveraging NASA Veggie Growth System Technology to provide solutions to large businesses by automating their agricultural production processes and minimizing resource use year-round. Valleyponics aims to cultivate consultative partnerships which will allow our clients, their communities, and the environment to flourish.

ContributorsRamirez, Noe (Author) / Craft, Joshua (Co-author) / Valesano, Megan (Co-author) / Walsh, Samuel (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Lee, Christopher (Committee member) / Balven, Rachel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05