Fashion app wins Business Plan Competition

Apodyte, a smartphone app that helps fashion-conscious people find new styles utilizing their current wardrobe, was the winner of Augustana’s sixth annual Business Plan Competition.

The plan was presented by Hung Tran, a sophomore from Hanoi, Vietnam, majoring in computer science and engineering physics. His prize was $4,500.

The $3,000 second-place prize went to the team of Grant Reuter, Pyone Htet and Megan Frost.
Their plan was for Swap, a smartphone app that helps college students sell books, furniture or other items and services, such as tutoring, in a safe and convenient way.

Reuter is a senior from Littleton, Colo., majoring in business administration-management. Htet is a senior from Yangon, Myanmar, majoring in graphic design and business administration-marketing. Frost, who could not attend the competition, is a senior from Lakemoor, Ill., majoring in business administration-marketing and business administration-management.

Third place and $1,500 went to Bobby Christel, a senior from Manhattan, Ill., majoring in psychology, business administration-marketing and business administration-management. His plan was for Perfect Fit, a website that sells shirts tailored for shorter people who find it difficult to buy shirts that fit well.

Three Augustana alumni judged this year’s competition: Randy Micheletti ’98, owner/founder of Incubate IP law firm; Doug Hultquist ’77, former CEO at QCR Holdings; and Melissa Flowers ’09 Pepper, chief strategy officer at Russell Construction & Development.

The annual Business Plan Competition is funded by the Augustana Creative Enterprise Fund, which is donor supported.