詹妮弗·k·森田著

2023年4月13日

A mobile app that’s “like an Airbnb for electric vehicles” and a prototype for movable race car wings took the top two prizes at the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s first University-wide pitch competition, held at 萨克拉门托 State on April 5.

其中，帮助电动汽车车主找到安全可靠的地方（比如其他电动汽车车主的家）给电池充电的博彩平台eev获得了第一名，并获得了1500美元的奖金。

萨克州立大学最近的校友、Total Control Aero公司的创始人小詹姆斯·古维亚（James Gouveia, Jr.）凭借他的发明获得了1000美元的二等奖。他的发明是一种赛车机翼，可以通过编程来倾斜不同的角度，从而在赛道的不同部分最大限度地提高速度。

除了获得现金奖励外，前两名获胜者还将参加5月5日在圣何塞州立大学举行的Sunstone CSU创业启动竞赛，来自18个CSU校区的团队将争夺总计20万美元的奖金。

卡尔森中心以前曾为萨克州立大学的各个学院举办过投球比赛，但这是它第一次在全校范围内举办比赛。 卡尔森中心执行主任卡梅伦·劳说，规模更大的活动的目的是为更多的学生提供一个机会，推销他们解决问题的业务、产品或服务的想法。

“We’re excited about students sharing all they’re working on,” Law said. “We’re hoping to inspire additional students to bring their ideas to life and pursue their entrepreneurial spirit here.”

在提交申请的30多名有希望的企业家中，有9名进入决赛，参加了演讲比赛。 该中心为他们提供了辅导课程和导师，帮助他们精心设计自己的演讲。

创意包括用落叶制成的环保纸袋； 在戴维斯，白天有咖啡馆，晚上有酒吧； 小菜外卖服务； 还有一个非营利性的校园苗圃。

“There’s so much that goes into an idea being successful,” Law said. “Having students think through a great idea – such as who they’re targeting, how much it will cost to make and how much revenue would you receive – gives them more structure to think about their business holistically and not just the end product or end service.”

卡尔森中心的帮助给了Sac州立计算机科学研究生、eev联合创始人恩里克·阿尔卡塞尔（Enrique Alcacer）回报。 他和他的商业伙伴约书亚·马多克斯（Joshua Maddox）在萨克州立大学（囊状态）担任能源和可持续发展分析师。在推介活动开始前一周，他们还在担心，因为他们的5分钟推介时间太长了30分钟。

The coaching and practice they received in the Carlsen Center’s Hivemind Cohort program, however, helped them whittle it down and prepared them to answer judges’ questions.

“We had to break it down so much, but we made it and we’re so proud of that,” Alcacer said.

Alcacer是whereEV的软件开发者，他说这款博彩平台将有助于解决电动汽车车主面临的基础设施问题。

Often, drivers go to public charging stations only to find they’re full or out of service.

“The Carlsen Center is the incubator for the next generation of innovators, and there were some amazing ideas that went through that pitch competition.” -- James Gouveia, Jr., 囊状态 alumnus and founder of Total Control Aero

除了公共场所，eev还将帮助司机找到附近有充电站的私人住宅，为电动汽车电池充电器创造一个在线市场。

“We are not building infrastructure, we’re getting whatever is out there already and putting it on the market,” Alcacer said, adding the prize money will go towards launching and testing the first version of their app.

对于可移动赛车机翼的创造者Gouveia来说，现金奖励将有助于他的原型车在赛道上行驶。

“The prize money made it possible to buy the part that was holding me back from real-world testing,” said Gouveia, a lifelong racing fan and crew member for a professional race team.

“I gained a lot of skills at 囊状态 that I could use to build stuff,” Gouveia said. “I was wondering how I could use those skills and apply them to racing, which is my passion.”

今年1月毕业后，在卡尔森中心工作人员和教职员工的帮助下，古维亚一直在全职研究他的想法。

“It’s great encouragement for people who want to start a business or invent something, but maybe need a little push from someone saying, ‘You can do it,’ ” Gouveia said. “It can be very discouraging when you’re trying to do something by yourself.

“The Carlsen Center is the incubator for the next generation of innovators, and there were some amazing ideas that went through that pitch competition.”

Alcacer shared Gouveia’s enthusiasm for the event.

“This pitch competition is an amazing way to help young people who have an idea make it happen,” he said. “I’m really thankful to the Carlsen Center for this opportunity and for the help going through this process.”