Submitted by the Thurston Economic Development Council
Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) is pleased to announce that its Research and Project Coordinator, Kyle Wiese, has been accepted into the University of Washington’s 2013 Jones Milestones/Foster Accelerator Program. Kyle’s team, called Project Wedge, is the first team from Evergreen State College to get into this coveted program. This year, there are seven teams total participating in the program.
Kyle, who fills the role of research and special projects at the EDC, brings entrepreneurial spirit and passion to many of the projects and resources of the organization. “We built this company with nothing more than a great idea and broken computer and projector parts,” says Kyle Wiese. “Other teams had funding, lab spaces and the wealth of resources that UW offers. We had none of that, and we still got into the program.”
Project Wedge is a plug-in-and-play projector for tablet devices, smart phones, set top boxes and other electronic devices that have HDMI video-out capabilities. It is the first truly portable projector made specifically for tablet devices. The projector’s casing doubles as a presentation stand, without impeding any of the tablet’s functionality. The battery life on the projector is estimated to be four hours on a single charge, and will have a projected MSRP of $99.00.
This Jones Milestones/Foster Accelerator program is designed to help early-stage, student-led companies through the first six months of business development. The competition, which drew 150 submissions, chose 7 teams to participate in this year’s program. Among them include the top three teams from the UW Business Plan Competition, and the recent winner of the UW Clean Tech competition.
For being accepted into the UW program, Project Wedge will receive mentoring and guidance from a committee of entrepreneurs and investors, monthly meeting with an advisory board, connections to the Seattle entrepreneurial community, workspace in the new Herbold Innovation Lab at the University of Washington, and up to $25,000 in follow-on funding if program milestones are met.
For more information contact:
Michael Cade, Executive Director
Thurston Economic Development Council
665 Woodland Square Loop SE, Suite 201
Lacey, WA 98503
360-754-6320
About Thurston EDC:
The Thurston Economic Development Council is a private non-profit organization focused on creating a vital and sustainable economy throughout Thurston County that supports the livelihood and values of our residents.
