SunDown RunDown: Mansfield embraces entrepreneurs

Mansfield once again showed its support of entrepreneurship by turning out in force for SunDown RunDown Wednesday evening at the Old Bag of Nails Pub on Lexington Avenue. SunDown RunDown is a forum that helps entrepreneurs make connections with investors, mentors, and talent. Entrepreneurs are given five minutes to pitch their idea or product, outlining their business plan and ending with an “ask,” which can include anything from a request for funding to community support. The pitch is followed by five minutes for the audience to ask questions of the entrepreneur. Wednesday’s event featured the entrepreneurs behind RADoptic, P&P Medical Solutions, Mansfield Makerspace, and A Dog’s World.The evening was opened by Sherry Kim of Jumpstart, who said that Jumpstart has recently been working with the Richland County Foundation to help businesses grow, stay in the area, and create jobs.“Entrepreneurship is one of the key ingredients we need for building a healthy and vibrant community,” she said. Also present and videotaping the evening were representatives of the Believe in Ohio Program, a program that encourages high school students to pursue entrepreneurship. RADoptic's Joe Rotunda, an entrepreneur previously featured in the Eye on Entrepreneur series, pitched the company in which he is a partner, RADoptic.RADoptic brings technology to the field of radiation detection with a device that is much smaller than those currently in use, and can even be used to detect radiation doses in the body, pending FDA approval.“We’ll start with the industrial sector, and then go to the securities sector because there are less barriers to entry. We don’t have to get approval. P&P Medical SolutionsVinay Saujani of P&P Medical Solutions explained the company’s goal is to leverage existing technology to provide specialty care physicians in mental health to deliver medical care using a combination of in-person and online visits.He noted that the problem the company hopes to solve lies in the lack of access to specialists, as well as the waiting time and travel time involved in specialist visits.“We connect patients to [the] care they need,” he said, explaining the company’s goal is to build a team of specialists that work solely for P&P Medical Solutions and utilize online visits to save patients the time and sometimes pain involved in travel.Saujani’s ask involved raising funds of approximately $214,000 Mansfield Makerspace's Nate Gross of Mansfield Makerspace discussed the need for a makerspace in the area.“In a nutshell, makerspaces are tech-savvy community workshops for artists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. They provide a clean, well-lit, organized space in which to build your dreams,” he explained.The space would include equipment such as 3D printers, CNC routers, table saws and drill presses, and would have staff on hand to instruct others in the proper use of the equipment.A monthly membership fee and machine rental would help keep the project funded, he explained.He quoted the president of the Maker’s Fair, who said, “Today’s DIY is tomorrow’s Made in America,” and followed with, “I say today’s DIY is tomorrow’s Made in the 419.”Gross’ ask included inviting interested parties to a meeting July 23, 6 p.m., at the Braintree Business Development Center to help grow the community.A Dog’s WorldWrapping up the evening’s pitches was Beau Roberts, the entrepreneur behind a new board game, “A Dog’s World.”Roberts was previously featured in an article detailing his desire to produce the game to honor the memory of his own dog, Natasha.He explained the premise of the board game, “In A Dog’s World, you play as a dog. The objective is to lead the best dog’s life possible, learning tricks, performing heroic deeds, and marking your territory along the way.”His ask, he noted, was simple, “Visit our Kickstarter campaign site…consider donating.”He also requested that attendees share the information with any dog lovers they may know.SuccessSunDown RunDown Mansfield Chapter Community Coordinator Bob Cohen said the quarterly event has been an ongoing success. “We’re appreciative of the community support.“I am pleased that it’s always a combination of people that come back every time as well as new faces. There are always people that are hearing about Mansfield’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for the first time and getting plugged in, meeting others like themselves, and realizing they aren’t the only startup entrepreneurs around,” he said.

SunDown RunDown: Mansfield embraces entrepreneurs
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