UNH Entrepreneurship Center Annual Impact Report 2019-2020

STUDENT START-UP IDEAS & COMPANIES
Kendra Bostick ’23 (Grad School)
was introduced to Ian Grant and
the ECenter in the early fall of
2019 to receive coaching on her
idea, Kikori. Kikori is a Software
as a Service (SaaS) platform
that supports educators in
transforming their classrooms
through experiential education
activities so their students can
transform the world. Kikori
has developed significantly
since first visiting the ECenter.
Most recently, Kikori launched
a Kickstarter! Kikori also took
advantage of the ECenter’s Paid
Internships at Start-Ups program
in the summer of 2020.
Said Kendra, "I cannot say
enough about the invaluable
experience I received by
participating in the UNH
business plan competitions and
being coached by Ian Grant. I
grew immeasurably in all areas
of entrepreneurship including
developing my business strategy,
constructing my financial model,
learning presentation skills
and creating the documents,
videos, and pitch needed for
a scalable company. Ian Grant
has been supportive since day
one (literally!) and advised me
weekly throughout the entire
process. I do not have a business
background, and Ian met me
where I was at and believed in
me, while also providing me with
the tools and guidance needed."
The ECenter first met ecoText
in September 2017 when the
idea launched at UNH and the
founding team approached Ian
Grant to be their advisor. ecoText
fills a real need in the market.
Students and their families
struggle every semester to cover
the high “out of pocket” costs
of college textbooks. ecoText’s
mission is to reduce these
financial obstacles to create
opportunity through affordability.
ecoText bridges the gaps
between colleges, publishers,
professors, and students by
aggregating titles onto its online
platform that is set to become
the ultimate collaboration
learning tool for students and
professors.
While the team includes both
UNH students and alumni, the
current students in ecoText
competed this year in the
Holloway Prize Competition.
In Holloway, Nelson Thomas
'20 (COLA), Dylan Wheeler '20
(CEPS and COLA), and Rachel
Yee '20 (COLSA) made it to the
Championship Round where they
won 2nd place and the People’s
Choice Award! ecoText also
launched a Kickstarter this year.
Said CMO Nelson Thomas, "As
we have grown, the ECenter has
been alongside us guiding us in
the right direction. The lessons
and experience we garnered
from our interactions as well as
the events that the ECenter puts
on are skills that we will carry
throughout our journey with
ecoText. Thank you to all that
make the ECenter special!"
ecoText co-founders and ECenter alumni
(from left) Joel Nkounkou ‘18, Dylan Wheeler
‘20, and Nelson Thomas ‘20, launched their
first equity round in the summer of 2020
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