Mansfield SunDown RunDown alum wins $50K on Steve Harvey's "Funderdome"

A musician, who previously pitched his business idea at a Sundown Rundown event in Mansfield, recently had a chance to share his idea with a national audience.Brandyn Armstrong of Cleveland spoke about his startup company Studio Stick on episode 13 of Steve Harvey's "FUNDERDOME," which aired Sunday, Sept. 24 on ABC, and won $50,000 for his idea.In the show, Armstrong calls his device “the world’s first portable recording studio for smartphones and tablets.” The device, he says, can produce high-quality audio as could be recorded in a fully-equipped studio.Before stepping onto a national stage, Armstrong pitched his idea at a Sundown Rundown event held at Old Bag of Nails Pub in March. He said Studio Stick had the attention of rapper 50 Cent and musician Scott Page, the original saxophonist for Pink Floyd. Armstrong also mentioned that a confidential celebrity was willing to endorse the product.At that time, Armstrong intended to sell the studios for $299 with musicians as his target audience. “It was very well-received, and he got a lot of positive feedback,” said Bob Cohen, business advisor for Braintree and coordinator for the Mansfield chapter of Sundown Rundown.Sundown Rundown is a volunteer-run organization that offers opportunities for startup business owners to pitch their ideas and hear feedback in low-pressure, informal settings.Likewise, Cohen was impressed with Armstrong’s presentation on Steve Harvey’s "FUNDERDOME."“He obviously won over the crowd,” Cohen said.On the show, Harvey brings two people to pitch ideas to the audience at a time. After hearing both pitches, the crowd votes for their favorite. Before the winner is announced, the contestants have an opportunity to cash out for a lesser sum.Studio Stick was pitched with Truxx, which cashed out for $15,000 before the winner was announced. Since Armstrong won the vote, he took home the $50,000 prize. Armstrong expressed a desire to improve Studio Stick's portable equipment and finalize app development.We’re really excited because this was on a national scale,” Cohen said about Armstrong’s success. “For a guy from Northeast Ohio to be chosen (to compete) and to win… I’m pleased with the whole thing.”Cohen says Armstrong joins about half a dozen others who have gone on to acquire more success following their pitches in Mansfield.“I think what we’ve found over the years is that Sundown Rundown can be one of the first pitches that people do," he said. The next Mansfield-based Sundown Rundown event will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. in the Old Bag of Nails Pub, 625 Lexington Ave.To submit pitch ideas, visit sundownrundown.org.

Mansfield SunDown RunDown alum wins $50K on Steve Harvey's "Funderdome"
crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram