To be a successful entrepreneur, you must be passionate about what you're doing, but be open-minded enough to change course on a dime.
Working on a Mountaintop Project at Lehigh this summer through the program LaunchBayC, student-athletes Lauren Beausoleil (women's lacrosse), Eddie DeDomenico (men's lacrosse) and Zach Drake (men's lacrosse) have taken everything in stride as they create and develop their paint brush cleaning product.
LaunchBayC, a student idea accelerator, features three different tracks: creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The student-athletes are in the innovation track, which means they have identified a problem, see it as an opportunity and are working to develop a solution.
Sometimes - actually, many times - a product doesn't go from idea to market in a straight line. Setbacks are common and entrepreneurs learn as they go along, which Beausoleil, DeDomenico and Drake have experienced this summer.
The trio wouldn't be where they are without an idea which began in one of Beausoleil's classes in the fall of 2014.
"I took Entrepreneurship 101 with Professor (Pat) Costa and he gave each group in the class a certain subject," said Beausoleil. "Ours was the arts. I happen to have a friend whose mom is an art teacher, so I observed her class and I wanted to uncover an issue."
The creation of a new product often comes from a problem that needs to be solved.
"I realized how much time they spent just for cleanup," said Beausoleil. "It's been an issue for not just her class, but also for the after-school programs."
Beausoleil uncovered an opportunity for a product to fill a need.
Professor Costa liked the idea and encouraged Lauren to look further into the issue, beyond his class. Beausoleil's original group members were unavailable to stay at Lehigh this summer, but were excited the idea could be developed further. Beausoleil sought to find people who could help.
"I had class with Eddie (DeDomenico) and we have similar, but also very different mindsets," said Beausoleil. "He was so interested in the idea."
"I asked if she was sure nothing like this exists," said DeDomenico. "We research it and sure enough, every single solution was either mediocre or didn't work and got pulled off the shelves."
Lauren Beausoleil
A brush-cleaning solution for art teachers was meaningful for Lauren and Eddie beyond simply financial gains. Research has backed the fact that arts-based programs are of critical importance to the development of youngsters, but there is a disturbing trend.
"Art programs are being cut from schools just because the budget is decreasing, so being able to save money and not having to spend hundreds of dollars on new paintbrushes every year would make a significant difference," said Beausoleil.
"It's bad for the plastic moldable brain of the young person to not be exposed to art," said DeDomenico. "Art is good for us; there's a reason why it's existed throughout history, despite technology being so prevalent."
After DeDomenico joined the team, an engineer was needed. They found Drake, who is an IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences) major. He was equally on board with the group's direction.
"I love taking an idea, building it and making it happen," said Drake. "I happen to be very passionate about the product, being a painter myself. I painted in high school, so it's something that's close to my heart."
The group began the summer by working on Brush Buddy, a hands-free brush cleaning system that cleans paint brushes in bulk.
"Our target market was specifically elementary and middle school art teachers," said Beausoleil.
A relatively simple concept, Brush Buddy could have far-reaching impact.
"With our product, teachers wouldn't have to end class 10 minutes early and they'd be able to take their paintbrushes, put them in our system, which would clean them, dry them and have them ready for the next class," said Beausoleil.
During the first week of their Mountaintop Project, Beausoleil, DeDomenico and Drake reached out to teachers to gauge interest in the product. If they had a 100-150 dollar brush cleaning solution that would create an extended life of the brushes, would they be interested?
Eddie DeDomenico
"We thought this phase was going to take at least two weeks of our time, but there was such a quick and overwhelming response in the first four days, we didn't have to go any further." said DeDomenico. "People really wanted it. We had 10 schools volunteer to test market for us before the first week was over."
The quick response allowed the team to immediately jump into prototyping and testing.
"Our next step was to get a proof of concept in order to validate our theoretical cleaning process," said DeDomenico. "Zach was tremendous in this area. He was able to churn out prototype after prototype, which helped us gain momentum quickly."
This was the point when the focus shifted just a bit. The group had a meeting with innovation coaches to obtain feedback.
The feedback was positive, but there were some important red flags, most notably market size.
"The feedback was that our idea is great, but we have to think about our market," said Beausoleil. "How big is it? There are a lot of middle and elementary schools, but if we got 10 percent of the (art teachers) market, we'd be lucky. We could sell to only approximately 200,000 people."
The group took the feedback and decided to transition slightly to a product called Brush Bit, a drill-powered brush cleaning device that cleans brushes in bulk and helps save commercial painters both time and money.
The team showed an impressive ability to take the feedback they received and adjust.
"This team has gained an amazing ability genuinely listen to feedback with open minds, use that feedback to critically analyze their work and make informed decisions based on their analysis," said Chris Kauzmann, Innovation Programs Manager for the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Innovation. "That thought process not only has benefited them this summer, but also honing that skill set will aid them in their next steps in life."
With the Brush Bit comes a much bigger market with a greater opportunity to reach more people. Plus, it's simpler and more practical for a first product.
"We significantly limit our material costs because we're not including a motor inside the actual device," said DeDomenico. "The motor is run off a drill, and we don't need to create a casing for the product itself."
The ultimate goal is to help painters after a long day's work.
"The last thing they'd want to do is clean their brushes for 10 minutes," said Beausoleil. "This is a quick way, similar to Brush Buddy, to clean their brushes."
What's most exciting is that there's no good solution out there for commercial painters.
"There's only a brush cover solution, and it's doing very well," said DeDomenico. "It preserves the moisture of the brush, so if a painter were to go to lunch, the bristles wouldn't dry out and they'd be able to go right back to painting.
"It doesn't clean; they can't switch between colors, so that's where we come in," he continued. "We'd be able to provide a quick, two-minute process, which allows them to switch between colors on the same job or clean their brushes at days' end."
The goal by the end of the summer is a works-like prototype, which is a bare-boned, functional product, with the aesthetics coming later.
"If we're pitching to investors, not only would we give them a high-level view, but we'd also be able to show them something that works… an actual product," said DeDomenico.
The setup on the Mountaintop Campus has allowed for creative thinking, helping the group progress at a good pace. There are many different projects happening at once in one collaborative atmosphere.
"It's an open room and it's great how there are so many different projects going on, where we're able to use each other," said Beausoleil. "We can just literally walk to another table and ask for help."
Lehigh University is there to help in any way possible. The group members have many resources at their disposal, including 3D printers.
"The summer at Mountaintop is unlike any other education environment I've ever seen," said Kauzmann. "In LaunchBayC, we are able to create an immersive experience to fully engage students, which creates true culture change. This group has experienced this culture change and has been exceptional at facilitating that change."
The type of learning that's happening is much different than classroom learning. It's so real and tangible.
Zach Drake
"Lehigh is almost working for us to the point where they're supplying us with everything we need," said Drake. "It's a collaborative experience between students and faculty. We've developed more than a student to professor relationship; it's essentially been a peer-to-peer relationship."
The three have also learned about working together as a group. They all think enough alike where they're on the same page, but yet they all bring different skills to the table.
"I have the engineering background, so my role is more of the design and building," said Drake. "Lauren and Eddie handle the business side of things. I have no business acumen, but we still go back and forth. I don't take full responsibility of how the product works and they don't take full responsibility of the business. It's very collaborative."
Within the business side of things, there are different roles.
"One of my main roles is to clearly communicate our vision to anyone who's interested in the product," said DeDomenico. "I help to create that hook, that elevator pitch devised to spark spontaneous interest. We are constantly tweaking our materials to ensure that our problem and market are clearly defined. By clearly defining these two areas, it helps drive the product's design."
Everyone has their strengths.
"Lauren is incredible with aesthetics and social media," said DeDomenico. "She's also a great speaker in front of people."
The three have every intention on continuing to develop the Brush Bit beyond this summer, and hopefully move back to Brush Buddy as well.
"We still really love Brush Buddy and don't want to end it, but we just feel like this is a better way to start," said Drake. "Rather than being Brush Buddy, we're a company who creates brush cleaning solutions for various people. We're becoming more overarching."
"This team has great potential," said Kauzmann. "They have the right mindset, an unwavering work ethic and a genuine passion for their project. I truly hope they continue this project beyond the summer and take advantage of more opportunities at the Baker Institute, and beyond."
Big, successful products begin just like Brush Bit. Without the direction of the Mountaintop program, Beausoleil, DeDomenico and Drake may still be climbing an uphill battle with Brush Buddy. Instead, they're put in the best position to succeed.
"The feedback is what's great about this whole program," said Beausoleil. "We met with people who gave us constructive criticism, which helped us move in a better direction."
"This year's group has truly excelled in building a supportive environment in which honest communication, even when difficult, can lead to amazing project results," said Kauzmann.
The group hopes Brush Bit goes to market one day, but regardless of the future, giving up their summers to work on the project has been well worth it.
"Having the opportunity to pursue this type of entrepreneurial venture is something I've always wanted," said Drake. "I was almost waiting for an opportunity like this and luckily, it happened now."
"One of my favorite quotes I learned as an undergraduate at Lehigh from Professor John Ochs and now a favorite line of LaunchBayC is 'all constraints are self-imposed,'" said Kauzmann. "This year's students have taken this to heart and have blown me away with their accomplishments so far."
