4:50 – Samantha Glassner is presenting the introductory PowerPoint for B.E.S.T. (Bicycle Energy Storage Technology)!
5:00 – And the discussion begins…in order to secure funding, what is our target problem? How do we sell this to funders?
5:05 – BEST was envisioned for areas (like India) where bicycle use is very heavy for transportation, industry, etc. This could be an accessory instead of a completely new bike!
5:08 – Kathy Huber is lending an experienced business voice, giving the BEST team tips for research to help flesh out a future business plan.
5:12 – After a comment about using renewable resources for manufacturing, we learned that the first lightbulb filament was made with bamboo. Thanks, Time Rowe (Founder of CIC)!!
5:18 – Steve Kurec asks if wind energy could be harnessed, additionally…
5:24 – Howard raised a question about power-generating efficiency and noted that this idea/product would be competing with companies that are working on solar power innovations in addition to other bicycle products.
5:28 – Ben Cavallari made a good point about step-up innovation progressing from powering small devices to large ones.
5:29 – Tim Rowe made a true Venture Cafe breakthrough with the idea that bike pedals could be used as docking stations to directly charge cell phones, which also addressed Kim Cohen’s environmental concerns for introducing more batteries into the ecosystem.
5:33 – Imagine a mass charging station (potential business venture for 3rd world entrepreneur) in which multiple, interchangeable batteries can be charged at once. – Katie Lemay
5:35 – Our inventor, Ben, mentioned that we could run into a problem of small batteries being charged too quickly, leading to overloading.
5:38 – Dick Rowe, joined the Mini-Hack to share his Strawberry Pie (wifi-hotspot) designed for developing world countries.
5:43 – The room continues to fill with interested problem solvers…Samanthat is recapping the idea of BEST for those who joined us late.
5:49 – Stephen Husser brought up a question of government-subsidized energy programs in developing countries and how BEST would be able to provide an energy alternative that might take away business or revenue from utility providers.
6:01 – In an effort to summarize, Ben confirmed that BEST would be interested in first developing an accessory and later consider a bike that would work optimally with the device.
6:07 – Robert Schultz dropped in to tell the Mini-Hack about his venture SivaCycle, a company developing a low-cost, power-generating add-on for bicycles.
6:14 – Things to focus on now: Location, Market Research, Technological Ideas