The JPEC Startup Incubator is a way for undergrad to connect with potential entrepreneurs across campus to provide them with expert insight and resources to grow their idea into a sustainable venture. To learn more, visit the JPEC Startup Incubator site.
It all started from an act of service in Cedar Falls led by Refiller Me founder EmmaJean Roling, a third-year environmental science major, developed a refillery station called Generations Back. Refilleries are stores that sell products in bulk and allow customers to refill their own containers.
After running the refillery for a couple years, she wanted a more scalable solution to what was already developed. With her idea, she contacted friends like Ishan Dhanani, third-year computer science major, Lucas Johnson, third-year business management and history major, Joseph Valley, third-year engineering major, Xavier Uhrmacher, third-year electrical engineer major, Kailey Elliot, third-year industrial engineer major.
The group found out that some of the thickest plastic that's only used one time and then thrown away is laundry detergent bottles. Refiller Me has made it their mission to reduce plastic waste by providing refill stations for liquid laundry detergent. The project has been in development just over a year.
Ishan Dhanani, the lead Software Engineer of Refiller Me, helped by providing his technological perspectives throughout the project.
With the help of class Introduction to Software Development, it gave him the foundation on how real world teams collaborate and the agile development process and waterfall design that he can apply in the progress of Refiller Me.
Eventually, Dhanani is planning to create a machine in stores similar to water jug refillers seen in groceries like Walmart, but for laundry detergent. While the team is still in the development stage right now, he's been planning what needs to be used in the front-end and back-end of the machine.
An obstacle in their progress was the identification stage. There are so many problems connected to plastic waste that it was important for the team to be able to find the "right reasons and really narrow down on a solution" explains Dhanani. Because the company not only wants to provide the resources to take on the plastic waste problem but also seek monetary value to continue providing those resources.
What made the beginning planning stages go so smoothly was the communication between the friends. During the ideation stage, they would would spend two hours every Friday in the Bell Entrepreneurial Center bouncing off ideas from each other. They're all coming from different expertise and to Dhanai it's been great help and enjoyable in seeing different perspectives of the project at different angles. Which is why he suggests "to find a good group of people that you can lean on for advice" as he had.
After achieving success at the Kansas City Pitch Competition last April and the JPEC Startup Competition in November, the team is eager to see where their venture takes them next.
"Start it go ahead and do it because the main reason people don't start up businesses and don't even try is because of the fear of failure. You won't know what it could be if you don't try."
