Idea Napkin no. 1

Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Brooke Desantis and I would definitely say one of my passions is food. I am a self proclaimed foodie and also a very creative individual. A few of my aspirations is to one day combine both of my passions in life together in a professional sense. My role in whatever that may be would definitely be the creative backbone of a company, coming up with exciting marketing techniques and ways to promote.

2. My idea is to start a business that will go into the school system and assist in making children today more worldly and culturally aware of lifestyles outside of America specifically through food. This business would come into schools and throw foods festivals once a month while working with the teachers and staff to incorporate knowledge of that months chosen culture (outside of just the food) into the lessons plans. We would essentially be the even planners for the school while also going them some sort of background on what it is that they will teach their students in order to prepare them for the festival.

3. While we would be specifically targeting kids in elementary and middle schools, the goal is to make this an event for the whole family to attend. That way it will not only be educational for the students but a fun way for the entire family to bond and spend time together in a productive way.

4. People would value this experience mainly because it can be difficult and expensive for parents to teach their kids about different cultures across the globe. Many do not have the time to cook ethnically diverse dinners or do to have the money to bring their kids to restaurant thats specialize in different cuisines. Many young kids today are extremely picky eaters and have little to no knowledge of any culture outside of America. This lack of knowledge will be a disservice to them in the future when dealing with people who come from all different backgrounds. This food festival will be a great way for the parents to help their kids in many different aspects.

5. This business is one that I am not even sure exists. It is extremely specific to the needs it serves and the people it targets, hence zero competition. We would offer a completely unique food experience to a market that has yet to be even introduced to the idea.

Personally, I believe that this business concept, while extremely out of the box and original, is one that could potentially have great success. It may be more difficult to start at first, due to funding and safety regulations involving the school system, but overall will be a very helpful business with a great mission. A company like this could change the face of school curriculum if welcomed with a positive reception. It also targets things that are very receptive to most people aka food, family activities and educational benefit.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Solving the Problem, Part 2

Solving the Problem, Part 2

Who: For my second set of interviews I decided to target more adults that were likely to have kids that were a similar age to me. This was mainly to see if this opportunity would have been one they would've used with their kids if given the chance. The first two dads I approached at a recent tailgate sid that they could definitely see the value in exposing their kids to more earlier on and would have loved the chance to take their children to a food festival as just a new way to get out and do something. Next I called two of my moms friends and when asked they explained that they appreciated the creative idea but sometimes would find it hard to attend all the school events as their were always so many going on. They did say though that even with their busy schedules they would have made the effort to educate their kids through the food festival because it was something they lacked in teaching them themselves. Finally I asked my house mom she responded saying that while she was a big foodie she most definitely would have taken her kids to things like this. raising her kids she was a lot like my mom in the sense she cooked various ethnic dishes weekly and made her kids appreciate things outside the standard American diet, so she believes this is a great idea.

What: One takeaway I received form this set of interviews was that even with a detailed explanation of the current problem and opportunity available. Many did not see a void in the education of their kids that they needed to fill. They seamed uneasy to take on yet another responsibility when they felt that it was more of the school systems job to provide their kids with more cultural knowledge. Personally, I think that education extends outside of a schools reach and that there are different ways in which to learn, food being an exciting and different new way.

Why: The need is the same for everyone no matter how old their kids may be. There is no harm to educating the children of America about the people of the world. Not only will it open their minds up to new possibilities but it will allow them to become more well rounded individuals.  These food festivals would strictly be an opportunity to educate not a money making scheme.

	Inside	Outside
Who	Parents looking to educated their kids on diverse cultures through food.	People who are well traveled and have no kids.
What	School funded food festivals or programs introducing children to different cuisines.	Various culturally diverse restaurants that families would have to seek out and pay lots to attend.
Why	Most American children are very picky eaters and are not exposed to other cultures.	A way for the school to make money.

Solving the Problem

Solving the Problem


Problem: There seems to be a lack of awareness of other cultures within the younger generations today, not enough kids are exposed to the cuisines and overall aspects of cultures today. I believe that it is crucial to the development of a person to understand the differences between their own culture and others around the world. Understanding these differences allows for a more productive person within our society. One great way to learn about a culture is through experiencing their food and I think that many americas kids today do not have enough exposure to different cuisines.

Solution: After conducting interviews my proposition for a solution would be to get the school system involved. My idea is that the school could start up a program where once a month they would have food festivals that children and parents could attend exploring various cultures and their cuisine. These festivals could be tied into the curriculum of the teachers, providing a fun way for the students to learn. This solution is not only beneficial to the students and their development but also the families and teachers, a true win win.

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: I think that right now there is a big opportunity to educate children nationwide about different cultures apart from their own. I think one very fun and easy way of introducing this to kids is through immersing them in the food of different cultures. Growing up my mom tried to steer with my sister and I away from the typical American classics seen on all kids menus, and by doing so she taught us much more about the world and the different traditions of all kinds of people. She did this by cooking simple but ethnically diverse meals for us and even bringing us to local festivals. These opportunities are great ways to teach your ids and bond with them at the same time.  Giving kids insight on other cultures starting at a young age will only help them in the long run as they grow to connect with people from different backgrounds and walks of life. 

• Who: This could be for American families with young children looking for a simple way to introduce their kids to more cuisines and cultures. Most households nationwide could benefit from culturally diverse festivals and programs to become more worldly. 
• What: The opportunity at hand would be to introduce kids to new cuisines and cultures that are different from their own through food festivals or programs put on by the school system that include both the kids and the parents. 
• Why: Most children today have no food knowledge form different cultures apart from classic american dishes. When going around a classroom and asking each student their favorite foods a wide majority of them would probably pick either chicken fingers or pizza. By exposing them to different foods from around the world they will not only become more well rounded individuals but they may also find out things about themselves they did not know existed. 

Interview 1: 

For my first interview I decided to go ahead and ask the family I nanny for on a weekly basis. I started off by asking the kids what their favorite foods, both of them immediately answered "pizza". Then I turned to the parents and asked if they had ever tried to introduce any 'exotic' dishes to their kids before. Knowing that the father was from France, I had high hopes that the kids might have been exposed to some different flavor profiles. They responded and tole me that last summer while vacationing in Paris they introduced the kids to some classic french cuisines, and surprisingly enough they really loved it. My next question was asking if they had tried to implement these dishes inter own home and the kids actually answered forth and they said once a month they "turned their home into a french bistro" as a fun thing for all them to take part in. After asking if they would be interested in doing this once a month dinner with a different cultures cuisine each time and they said if they had an easy to follow recipe they would be. 

Interview 2: 

For the second interview, I asked a mom while waiting with her to pick up the kids I nanny for at extended day. I explained the opportunity and my assignment then asked "do you feel your kids have any knowledge about the world and the diverse cultures in it". She responds very quickly saying unfortunately she was a very busy working mom and did not really have the time to make elaborate meals she's never cooked before for her picky children. This is a very understandable issue that I anticipated so I responded with asking her if a program was implanted within the school system like some sort of food fair/festival would she be interested in taking her kids to it as a bonding and learning experience. With this question she changed her tune and seemed very interested in an event that had less time commitment for her but also allowed her kids to experience new things. She said if the school provided some sort of event like this she would be very interested. 

Interview 3: 

For this interview I decided to call my aunt and someone with 3 kids who I used to babysit all the time. Knowing that her family travels often I asked her if she ever works different cuisines into their nightly dinner routine.  She explained that while she finds it extremely difficult to cook event the easiest of American dishes, they often take their kids to food festivals around town whenever they hear of them. They love the greek festival that comes to town about twice a year and the kids beg to go because they love the food. This was music to my ears because she basically answered all my questions. The next thing I decided to ask her was whether she thought teaching kids about different cultures through food was something that most children/families were lacking. She immediately responded with " I think it is such a big problem nationally, not enough kids are learning that there is more than just chicken fingers out there and it is causing them to become picking eaters for life. Not to mention the lack of an understanding of any culture other than their own which is showing itself as a big problem in almost every teen I have talked to recently." 

Interview 4: 

This interview I decided to reach out to my professor during his office hours to ask him some questions. I mainly chose him because he is always talking about his family during lectures and seems to really place a heavy emphasis on spending time with his kids. After explaining the assignment and the opportunity he responded that unfortunately he was definitely guilty of not exposing his kids too much. Even though he is a professor and deals with people from different walks of life everyday he neglects to teach his kids about the various cultures his students are form. During the conversation he did bring up though how he did not feel he was doing his kids any sort of disservice by not having them try different sorts of foods. He said "growing up in middle America not being exposed to anything different than what all around me I was able to learn about the world in different ways, my parents watched the news and I learned things in history...". I got the vibe that he did not feel he had to make any change within his household to improve his kids lives. 

Interview 5: 

For my final interview I decided to take a different approach and ask a friend what her childhood eating experiences were like, was she exposed to different cultures early on, and if she thought exposure was important. Coming from a background similar to mine she explained that her parents should occasionally take them to Indian and Chinese restaurants so she had decent exposure to various cultures but not as much as she would've liked. She explained that she thinks it is super important to educate kids early on about the different cultures around the world. She thinks it would have helped her a lot coming into a big university like UF if she had known more about the world, mainly because being more worldly is an advantage in social situations. 

Summary: 

After conducting these interviews I found that a majority of parents would like to teach their kids more about the world and would not be opposed to doing it through food. I also found that while most families aren't cooking ethnic dishes themselves they are doing small things here and there to immerses their children in different cultures, such as taking them to food festivals or restaurants. The overwhelming majority of people I interviewed agreed that they would be more inclined to opt into a program that helped teach their children or bring them to some sort of festival rather than cook the food themselves as most of them lead very busy lives. The one piece of information I found interesting that I did not expect to find initially was that some parents feel that teaching their children about different cultures is not their responsibility but rather something that will come with time. 

Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Identifying Trends in Economic and Regulatory Trends

1. Baby Boomers are Not Retiring

a) I found this article online after google some major economic issues that have been recently plaguing our society, and the massive amounts of baby boomers who are not retiring was one of them. The reason for not retiring is a lack of savings to fall back on.
b) Due to lack of savings of the baby boomer generation, many older people are needing to continue working just to pay for their daily needs. The opportunity that presents itself is an emphasis on teaching younger generations about savings and getting them started earlier on in life.
c) The idea of teaching about saving plans earlier on and possibly even setting up government funded savings programs would mainly target the the younger generations behind the baby boomers. It would be best to target kids in my age group or even the ones below me for optimal success down the line.
d) I think teaching people about saving, even just starting on a very basic small scale, would be a simple task. Savings are very important and necessary for anyones future, so I think instilling this knowledge in kids form a young age would help them in al cases of their life. A very simple way to encourage kids to save could be done with simple food treats at school, for instance encouraging kids to save up tickets in order to obtain an ice cream treat at the end of the week.

Why: From a young age, my parents have taught me how to save. They began my making me save a portion of my allowance each week and ever since them I have made sure to occasionally put away money for emergencies. Being financially aware has made me more aware of my friends poor decisions with money. After watching them I see the need for education on personal finances even clearer.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/032216/are-we-baby-boomer-retirement-crisis.asp


2. Climate change to slow global economic growth

a) I found this article on CNMBC, talking mainly about how the recent issues with climate change and natural disasters will eventually have a major impact on the worlds economy. With the rising temperatures, GDP is predicted to drop in several countries as overall output will drop.
b) The opportunity I see in this situation is a way for the government to enforce business nationally to develop more green practices. These economically friendly changes will be enforced due to the fact that down the line if they are not the business will be losing money.
c) In my mind, the most likely consumer of change for this opportunity is americas biggest businesses/corporations. They are the ones who will feel the most impact if output decreases and they are also the ones who have the most ability to make a difference. If we are able to get all the large factory associated for producing most of the country's goods on board with becoming more economically friendly than the more likely it will be to reverse some of these damages.
d) This will not be an easy task, as most companies will try and fight any sort of government interaction and will not want to pay to implement any of thee new changes. Even though it may be controversial, I believe the government will need to take some big steps in order to force change, if not we will end up hurting not only the planet but our countries economic standing.

Why: In my mind this is a very clear solution as the planets needs should really come before our own. To me, it makes the most sense to think if we do not take care of the earth, nothing else will really matter. I have always tried to do my part in helping the environment so I think even the slightest change by some of these big businesses could make a difference.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/20/climate-change-to-slow-global-economic-growth-new-study-finds.html

3. 5 Cyber Security trends to watch for in 2019
a) I found this article after looking up common regulations that cause issues as of this year. This article goes through a number of cybersecurity issues including problems with cloud computing and phishing scams. In this day and age, most of everyones most important information is online and if it is not being protected properly with the correct regulations there will be many identify theft and fraud issues.
b) One opportunity that can come from the trends in tighten cybersecurity is potential new jobs for those skilled in coding and any technology platform. While coding has easily become one of the most difficult things to learn, people may be more inclined to figure it out if there is a promising career at the end of it.
c) The most typical consumer for this opportunity would be kids who are seemly ver interested in technology and have yet to find a career path for them. Specific trade schools or even camps could be set up to train people on how to code skillfully and increase the likelihood of giving them a job at the end.
d) Overall, this opportunity seems relatively easy to set up. The main difficulty would be finding the right people to teach the code as it is already a very difficult thing to learn and the people who are most skilled within it tend to do best on their own, as coding typically is a singular activity, and have them become capable teachers.

Why: I saw this opportunity as a college student and hearing about friends of mine who have become interested in coding. I know from them how difficult it is to learn but also how rewarding it is once you have even figured out the smallest task. I think that many college students would be interested in learning this if an opportunity was provided for them and the idea of a job was promised.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/02/07/five-cybersecurity-trends-to-watch-for-in-2019/#7ab1d9c14c66


4. Sales tax for E-commerce: what small businesses need to know
a) This article came up after looking up some regulatory trends that will have an immediate impact on  the common mans everyday life. This article is discussing the advantages of E commerce and how online business selling online to out of state consumers can now charge their specific states sales tax to those people.
b) With the new discoveries in sales tax for online shoppers being different deepening on where it is they are buying from there are more opportunities for online retailers to make more money. The opportunity here is for more business to open an online shopping extension to their company that way they can reach more clients and make more money over all.
c) The biggest benefactor from this regulation will be small business owners. The small mom and pop shops that depend mostly on foot traffic for sales now have an opportunity to make more money than they could have before.
d) I think this opportunity is extremely realistic as it is not that difficult to create a website and tie it to some form of bank account to where people could purchase products off of.

Why: I saw this specific opportunity mainly due to the fact that my stepdad is the owner of a small business and has recently made the decision to include an online shopping sector in order to increase profits.

https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4729-sales-tax-compliance-tips.html

Identifying Local Opportunities

Life: Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Deep History Disrupted, Even As Things Continue to Improve
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB57BE7FF6D8A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F175D9F16E8739B28
Story: A traditionally black community close to Downtown Gainesville is feeling the effects of the University of Floridas large budget and growing presence within Gainesville.
Problem: With the recent gentrification of the area local residents, some of which who have been there for decades, are seeing rising property rates and even being forced out of their own neighborhood. This is mainly due to the increasing size of the University located just a few blocks away, but with its rise comes problems effecting some of its local residents.

2. Rebuilding Racial Trust
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB57BE7FF6D8A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F175D9F1699829808
Story: This story depicts the relations between UF and (mainly) the Black community/ the progress of the newly built Institute of Black Culture. Throughout the Universities history there have been rocky relations with multiple of the different racial groups, many of the problems are coming to light once again.
Issue: The main issue being presented in the story is the lack of equality and representation given to the black community on UF's campus. There has been issues with the building of their new Institute and the possible merger of the building with the Hispanic communities building. Recently, there has been a few instances that sparked major controversy, graduate ceremony/guest speakers/etc, which has heightened the tensions and shone a negative light on the University.

3. UF Preview Costs Exceed State Limit
Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190907/uf-preview-costs-exceeded-state-limit
Story: Incoming UF freshman have been paying hundreds of dollars to attend the mandatory orientation when the state requirement is that it can only cost $35.
Issue: A whistleblower raises concerns regarding the massive expensive tied to UF orientation for freshman when state law deems it only to cost $35 maximum. The problem lies in the confusion of whether this orientation is mandatory, which many say the get the impression that is according to all UF websites. UF claims it does not specifically state that attendance is crucial yet there is a lack in clarity on the Universities side.

4. UF resident assistant charged with battery released as "high achieving" student leader
Link: https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-resident-assistant-charged-with-battery-released-as-high-achieving/article_22218abc-d2bc-11e9-b6c8-576af09c51cc.html
Story: Well known student was released from jail and given a lowered sentence and bond requirement after victim claims sexual harassment.
Issue: Senior, Ian Milaski, was reported to have harassed a freshman girl multiple times within her own dorm room until someone stopped it. This involved student is said to have over 200 hours of community service and as a Teaching Assistant, and because of this was given a much reduced bail and release from jail. This raises questions about how lenient the courts will be when the defendant checks out on paper.

5. Legalized recreational marijuana in Florida is bound to happen sooner or later
Link: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/contributors/2019/09/09/legal-recreational-marijuana-florida-inevitable/2262168001/
Story: Since the legalization of both CBD and Hemp in the state of Florida it is becoming much harder to distinguish the difference between the two.
Issue: This confusion is creating controversy as many people do not understand the difference and the different punishments attached to the ownership of one over the there. Very prominent officials have openly declared their support for the legization of marijuana and have fought to make it so. Not only are people arguing the health benefits of it but are pointing out the new source of revenue it can create for the state.

Forming an Opportunity Blog

Life: Forming an Opportunity Belief


I believe that there is a big opportunity to improve in kids knowledge of different cultures foods from around the world. Growing up my mom would try to expose my sister and I to different cultures food at least once each week. She would either try and cook meals that were similar to that native dishes from a particular culture or at least teach us about them. These new culinary experiences gave us a much deeper understanding for the world not to mention a much broader pallet. This is something I would say most American children today are lacking, as most parents stick to the basics of chicken tenders, pizza and pasta. I would say more than 60% of kids today have never tried or tasted any dish that wasn't a classic American cuisine. There seems to be a large opportunity to include new food options into kids diet though school lunches to even food festivals.  By adding in more worldly knowledge to kids minds early on, the more likely they will be to try new things and understand cultures that are different from their own.

Customer #1: Mother who cooks dinners for two young children.

• How many nights a week to you cook dinner for your family? 
• On average, I cook about 4 nights a week. 
• What types of meals do you normally cook, what are your kids favorites? 
• I tend to stick to quick and easy meals so things like casseroles, burgers and hotdogs, and meat and potatoes. My kids always prefer the more rushed decisions liked buttered pasta and chicken tenders. 
• Have you ever tried or wanted to introduce to your kids to other cultures cuisines. If so, have they enjoyed. 
• We will occasionally have an Italian dinner or take them to an authentic Mexican restaurant. Both times they have surprisingly really enjoyed the food and overall experience. 
• If available would you take your kids to a food festival with different cuisines or even try cooking simple meals to allow exposure? 
• I would be very open to experimenting cooking different dishes as long as they were not to labor intensive and something I could do without having to buy many new ingredients. As far as taking them to a food festival, I think it would be a great family bonding experience and something fun and different to try!

Reflection: Overall I think this Mom is more than willing to introduce new cuisines and cultures to her kids as long as it didn't deviate to much from her families daily lifestyle. 

Customer #2: Single father of 1 Boy.

• How many nights a week to you cook dinner for your family? 
•  I cook about 3 nights a week. 
• What types of meals do you normally cook, what are your kids favorites? 
• My son loves steak and any red meat. The nights I do cook us dinner its normally on the grill. When I am not grilling or cooking at home we tend to rely on fast food in between his sports practices. 
• Have you ever tried or wanted to introduce to your kids to other cultures cuisines. If so, have they enjoyed. 
• Coming from a large Cuban family, my son will often eat authentic cuban food at our very frequent family gatherings. Other than cuban food though, we do not branch out too much. 
• If available would you take your kids to a food festival with different cuisines or even try cooking simple meals to allow exposure? 
• I would be interested in taking him to a food festival as I love new ways to get out of the house and try new things. Although when it comes to cooking I don't think I would be able to fit it into my skill set or sons timeline. 

Reflection: This father seems to place less importance on his sons overall food knowledge and more on his own traditions. He seems open to new experiences but only if they work with his busy life. 

Customer #3: Mother of 2 and restaurant owner.

• How many nights a week to you cook dinner for your family? 
•  I cook about 6 nights a week. I typically operate my return during the day and come home at night and cook dinner for my family. Normally I work as chef one night a week. 
• What types of meals do you normally cook, what are your kids favorites? 
• Being professionally trained in multiple cuisines, I try and never make the same meal more than 3 times. My kids have been exposed to many different foods, probably more than most adults, honestly. They love Beef Wellington, Yellow Currys and Pad Thai. 
• Have you ever tried or wanted to introduce to your kids to other cultures cuisines. If so, have they enjoyed. 
• As I mentioned earlier, I have already introduced my kids to variety of different cultures cuisines. They love trying the new dishes I make, especially when I go a little further and show them pictures of the region the food comes from or even make a dessert typical of that culture. 
• If available would you take your kids to a food festival with different cuisines or even try cooking simple meals to allow exposure? 
• I think my kids would really enjoy a food festival, I have made them little foodies and they always get excited when trying out a new, culturally diverse, restaurant.

Reflection: This mom has already set a great example of introducing her kids to more cultures and seems to think that more parents should do the same. For her kids she has already developed an appreciation for food that even some grown adults do not have. 

Summary: All things considered, it is still my personal opinion that most children today could benefit from of different cultures cuisines. After speaking to a few parents about the idea of introducing a more diverse array of food to their kids compared to what they typically eat, they all seemed on board with the idea. It is my guess that children's knowledge of different cultures and their foods could increase between 20-30% with a monthly introduction of diverse dishes. The only part about my original opportunity that may have to be modified would be having the parents learn to cook these new food. This is mainly because they already lead very busy lives and may not have the time or money to donate to this opportunity. 

Entrepreneurship and Me

 

       Entrepreneurship and Me

Unlike many others of my friends growing up I was exposed to entrepreneurship and the struggles and rewards that came with that from a very young age. My step dad, who has been in my life since the second grade, is an entrepreneur at heart. His family came from Italy and opened up their own Italian restaurant where he learned how to properly run a business, deal with clients, market, and use self promotion. Shortly after meeting him he decided to take his passion for triathlons one step further and open up his own triathlon storefront. He wanted a one stop shop where people within that community to go to for all of their swimming, biking and running needs. We helped him come up with a name, logo and even what the inside of the store should look like; not to mention me working there over the summers once I was older. Watching him turn his hobby into his career was incredibly inspiring and made me believe that this was also a possibility for me one day. Coming into college  and not being exactly sure what I wanted to do, I would always think back to my step dads entrepreneurial spirit. I decided to take this class to learn more about the possibilities of creating something all my own and figure out if I would one day follow in his footsteps. I am hoping to learn more about the technicalities of being an entrepreneur not only for myself and my future, but to also understand my step dads own personal achievements.