Aromatherapy device advances in business contest

Erin Bell’s business idea – ceramic pendants that dispense aromatherapy oils – won the Oakdale regional round of the Stanislaus Innovation Challenge.

The Modesto resident topped the voting by an expert panel and audience members Thursday night at the Gene Bianchi Community Center. She advances to the Dec. 10 finals in Modesto.

The winner will get $3,500 and the runner-up $1,500. They also will share about $3,000 in legal, accounting, graphics and marketing services.

The contest, now in its second year, is open to people who live, own businesses or attend college in Stanislaus County. They can enter any of the six regional rounds.

The challenge is sponsored by the Stanislaus Business Alliance, Wells Fargo, The Modesto Bee and the Stanislaus/Merced Angels investment group.

The other contestants in Oakdale were Josie Cruz with an extendable dusting and mopping tool, Geno Franco with a grease trapping and storage system, Troy McComak with tablet-based tutoring, and Corey Stigar with a baseball training system.

Bell also was a finalist in last year’s San Joaquin Entrepreneur Challenge, an eight-county event based in Stockton.

The other finalists so far for the 2015 Stanislaus contest:

▪ Charlene Solomon won the Modesto regional with an invention that lifts immobile hospital patients while they are being cleaned.

▪ Seana Day Hull took the Patterson round with an idea involving field data analysis for farmers.

▪ Nathan Bunney won the Riverbank regional with software that helps people keep track of personal goals.

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Aromatherapy device advances in business contest."