Cincinnati’s Newest Innovators

Cincinnati Innovates wrapped up its four-month online competition Friday by recognizing eight winners in the regional innovation competition. Over 273 entries were received. Awards were given at a ceremony Friday night at the Contemporary Arts Center in downtown Cincinnati.

The top winners share $50,000 in prizes – top prize of $20,000 went to Michael Bergman of LPK, who entered a test-prep Facebook application called Numbskull 2.0.

Numbskull 2.0 allows students to quiz themselves using provided questions or creating their own from class notes. It also allows classmates to create a league where they create and share quizzes customized to their classes and compete against each other.

Bergman was among 273 people who completed online entry forms for the contest – the entrants ranged from 12-year-old Natalie Brady of Milford to 90-year-old Logan Dreibelbis of Cincinnati. The competition was open to anyone with an idea or an invention who has a connection to the 15-county Greater Cincinnati region.  Ninety percent of entrants were from Southwest Ohio.

“The best innovations come from the most unexpected places,” says Elizabeth Edwards, a venture capital investor at Neyer Holdings, which launched the competition with partners Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm and public-private venture capital firm CincyTech. 

“At the heart of Cincinnati Innovates is the belief that our region is a great place for innovation, and this competition proved that belief to be reality,” said James Zimmerman, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. “From biotechnology and the Internet to consumer products, medical devices and green technology, the range of innovation has been amazing.”

Bob Coy, president of CincyTech, says the competition helps spur local entrepreneurial activity, which then spurs economic growth. “According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kauffman Foundation, startup companies accounted for all net new job growth in the U.S. between 1981-2008,” he said. “This competition is aimed at helping to launch the next startup companies.”

The Award Winners

Commercialization awards sponsored by CincyTech

First Prize, $20,000: Michael Bergman, of Mariemont, “Numbskull 2.0”
Second Prize, $10,000: Daniel Stull, of Hyde Park, “Venturepax – Families in Motion”
A Web tool allowing families to organize their outdoor adventures and information from other families
Third Prize, $5,000: Noel Gauthier, of Norwood, “FireStop”
An ecologically friendly, inexpensive and innovative fire extinguisher

Patent Awards sponsored by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

First Prize, $10,000: Jason Heikenfeld, of Newtown, Electrofluidic Displays
A new approach for e-books that allows for electronic switching of pigments with the same brilliance as printed media
Second Prize, $2,500: Dan Clifton, of Monfort Heights, Ox Handcuffs
A pair of handcuffs that allow police to apply handcuffs to a suspect’s arms without having to place them behind their backs first

Third Prize, $1,000: Phil Gettinger/Amro Kamel, both of Covington, the Ulcer Scale
Looks like a bathroom scale and is used to detect diabetic foot ulcers
(in-kind pro-bono legal services*)

More than 65,000 votes were cast for the HYPE! Community Choice Award.
HYPE! Community Choice Award: $2,000
Winner: Ryan Eder, of Liberty Township, Include Fitness
A fitness system for those in wheelchairs

Student Innovator Award: $1,000
Winner: Patrick Yovanov, of Clifton Heights, Central Line Catheter
A catheter that’s safer and more comfortable than those now on the market

Sponsors of the contest included CincyTech,The Haile Foundation, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, C-Cap, Hamilton County Business Center,Queen City Angels, Neyer Holdings, HYPE Cincinnati, BIOSTART, Northern Kentucky e-Zone, Soapbox Media, and the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association.

Photography by Scott Beseler

Phil Gettinger

Natalie Brady

CAC hosts Cincinnati Innovates