James Crawford wins $15,000 for his company in front of a packed UTCC
After a long season, Zuventurez finally came to an end on March 20, when the final six companies pitched to a panel of judges for the final time. James Crawford won over the judges with his near-flawless pitch for his startup, Venture Leather Company.
Crawford’s company sells quality leather bags made in Uganda, then turns around and invests the profits from sales into local Ugandan businesses, helping the economy.
“The idea first came to me when I was a student here at APU. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in terms of a career in something I cared about,” Crawford said. “What happened was, I was trying to search for that meaning, I ended up reading a book about Sudan because the genocide in Darfur was going on. I realized that it’s not just that I cared about doing something about a conflict like that, but so many other people cared as well.”
Crawford’s realization lead to his goals for the product and his company.
“From that moment, I found something that I really cared about that I could try to connect other people to solutions to global issues,” Crawford said. “Basically, it was from that starting point of ‘how do I do that? What is that product?’ But that seed was really planted, where I just recognized a need, not just that I had, but a need that other people had in terms of helping others.”
Eugene Johnson, CEO of Zyrl, was one of the judges on the panel. He noted that his criteria for choosing a small business to endorse began with the person who owns that business. They need confidence and the ability to explain their idea well.
Next, Johnson looked at the business itself. Johnson said that he asks: is the business actually in the market, and do they have traction within the market? However, Johnson was most concerned with the team. He stated that a great team will be able to overcome almost any challenge that comes their way, and that is what caught his attention when he saw Venture Leather.
“In my opinion, I looked at Venture Leather and I saw him as the best CEO. I felt like there were questions, and the way he structured his presentation, it was clear that he understood his unit economics,” Johnson said. “It was clear that he understood the hurdles that he would need to go over. He understood that, one, he made an incredible product. The product is in market, he’s gaining traction. These are things that only good CEOs end up doing, because there are a lot of business ideas that come up every single day, and 75 percent of the deal flow that comes in front of any type of judge are companies that haven’t brought a product to market. So, when you
see somebody who has been able to do that, it shows you their ability to execute.”
Second-place in Zuventurez went to Khomba Africa, a South African-based website designed to connect people with resources like plumbers, hotels, and clothing retailers. Third-place went to Left, an app that allows organizations to plan and execute trips abroad for large groups.
Zach Eubanks, a sophomore Christian ministries major, attended the event to see friends he had made through the program make their final pitches.
“I came to the finals because I was in the program, and I made a bunch of friends during the program. It was cool to see some of the people I met win,” Eubanks said. ”I love the Zuventurez program, I’ve done it two years in a row now.”
Eubanks said that he came into the program without an idea, but through the workshops, he was able to come up with one which led him deep into the competition.
“When I came in last semester, I didn’t actually have an idea of what I wanted to do. But throughout the course of the workshops, I figured out what I wanted to do and then I started pitching it this spring and made it to the semifinals,” Eubanks said. “That just tells you, you don’t really need anything. You just have to show up with an intent to learn.”
Jay Sherer, the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said that Zuventurez has something to offer to anyone who wants to be involved.
“One of the biggest things I tell everybody is: you don’t even have to pitch to get involved with Zuventurez because we are a start-up community, which means that you can come by the office anytime, you can email us anytime, you can go to our website to find out what our programs are,” Sherer said. “I always say, go over to www.zuventurez.com, check out what we have to offer, and if you want resources, even if you just want to talk to a coach, somebody who has done this before, just reach out to us. Email us at zuventurez@apu.edu and we will connect you with somebody.”