UC Merced student wins business contest with food-processing device
Agustin Roldan of Merced won a business startup contest with a device that could help keep food processors humming.
His idea for predicting electronic motor failure impressed an expert panel and audience voters at the seventh annual San Joaquin Entrepreneur Challenge. The finals of the eight-county event Wednesday night in Stockton offered a total of $16,500 in cash and professional services for the winner and runner-up.
Roldan is an engineering student at UC Merced.
“He is targeting the food-processing industry, where minimizing equipment downtime is critical,” said Kurt Clark, director of the Alliance Small Business Development Center, one of the sponsors.
Placing second was Michael Urner, an alumnus of the same campus, with a water vaporizer that could help prevent pneumonia in newborn babies in intensive care.
He is targeting the food-processing industry, where minimizing equipment downtime is critical.
Kurt Clark on contest winner Agustin Roldan
The event at the Stockton Golf & Country Club involves pitches about the business ideas, followed by questions from judges. The first round March 16 resulted in Roldan, Urner and six others moving on to Wednesday’s second round. The two men were joined in the final round the same night by Octavio Valencia of Merced, who entered a talking piñata, and Jack Relva of Stockton, with an online system for rating tattoo artists.
Roldan received $7,000 in cash and $3,500 in legal, marketing and services that could help grow his business. Urner got $3,000 in cash and $3,000 in services.
The other contestants Wednesday were:
▪ Anhviet Nguyen of Modesto and his 10-year-old son, Hien Ho, with a backpack that can be doodled upon and erased.
▪ Erin Long of Oakdale with a pouch that fits snugly to the body and can hold car keys, credit cards, cash and other small items.
▪ Erin Bell of Modesto with ceramic pendants that diffuse aromatherapy oils.
▪ William Ames of Modesto with a one-person tent, sleeping bag and air mattress that can be assembled into one lightweight unit for backpacking.
The contest has several sponsors in business, economic development and academia. It is open to people in Merced, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties.
John Holland: 209-578-2385
This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:57 PM with the headline "UC Merced student wins business contest with food-processing device."