Summary:
CR8 Soda, a flavored soda business idea, won first place and $500 at Northern State University's Idea Pitch competition.
The concept by Madi Jones offers a mixed drink alternative to coffee using soda, creamer, and flavors, housed in a shipping crate drive-thru.
Jones was inspired by a trip to New Orleans and shifted from a coffee shop to tap into the trending dirty soda market.
Other winners included wellness and podcast ideas, with the event sponsored by the Aberdeen Development Corp. to encourage student entrepreneurship.
Jones plans to launch the business by June, focusing on refining revenue projections and operational details based on judge feedback.
A Winning Business Idea for Flavored Soda
A business concept centered on flavored soda emerged victorious at Northern State University's Idea Pitch competition on Tuesday, November 18. The winning entry, CR8 Soda, was presented by NSU junior Madi Jones. Her innovative pitch proposed a mixed drink alternative to coffee, featuring soda blended with creamer and various flavors. This earned her first place, a $500 prize, and the Industry Disruptor People’s Choice Award.
Inspiration and Concept Development
Jones' vision for a drive-thru dirty soda shop housed in a shipping crate originated from a summer trip to New Orleans. There, she observed the potential of shipping containers as affordable storefronts. Initially considering a coffee shop, she pivoted after identifying the rising trend of dirty soda—a concoction of fountain soda, flavored syrups, and creamer. "I thought, what does Aberdeen need? And what’s trending? The perfect thing was soda," Jones explained.
As a softball player for the Wolves, Jones conceived the name CR8 Soda during practice and has already garnered support from her teammates. She aims to launch the business as early as June, contingent on funding and scheduling. Feedback from judges on revenue projections will be crucial in refining her plan. "The biggest thing is looking at the numbers—what profit looks like, what I charge, what I pay workers," she noted.
Other Notable Winners
- Second place: Elana Bishop's Liora: Infrared Bed Studios, a wellness concept focusing on infrared light therapy, which also won the People’s Choice Award for Greatest Need.
- Third place: Blake Clay, Cade Trenhaile, and Maggie Kruger's Behind the Pack, a student-produced podcast on athletics and the athlete experience, which also received the People’s Choice Award for Best Entrepreneurial Spirit.
Event Background and Support
The annual Idea Pitch Competition was organized by the Northern State University School of Business and the Northern Innovation and Startup Center. Prize money was sponsored by The Aberdeen Development Corp. Tim Hanigan, CEO of the group, remarked, "The ADC is always happy and proud to sponsor this event. The competition was fierce. There were a lot of great ideas, and as a judge it was really tough to pick them out."
This Shark Tank-style competition is designed to foster entrepreneurship among NSU students, with five finalists presenting their innovative ideas.
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