For young entrepreneurs, getting your possibly groundbreaking product to the market can be a difficult task. That’s why on Wednesday, Bemidji State University marketing students got the opportunity to present products of their own at the Student Marketing Expo.

“Our marketing students from Bemidji State were tasked at the beginning of the the semester with coming up with a brand new product idea,” said BSU associate professor of business administration Dr. Angie Kovarik. “And fast forward 15 weeks later, we come over here to the Launchpad [at the Mayflower Building], and the students present their product ideas.”

Students at the expo showcased a number of different products from a variety of fields.

“It’s so exciting to see the whole product from start to finish,” explained Dr. Kovarik. “So when we see this at fruition at the end, it’s really amazing.”

One group presented a product called Nature Cooks, a solar-powered pan that was intended for cooking on camping trips.

“We had just taken a few days to talk amongst our group, but also talk with our classmates and our peers to find an industry that we could find value to,” explained Nature Cooks presenter Mitchell Nemec, “and we found that was the camping industry, and the cooking aspect.”

Another group showcased RxRemind, a pill organizer that sets off alarms when medication needs to be taken.

“Just like the need to have that reassurance, and the peace of mind that your loved ones are getting the right medication at the right time that they need,” said RxRemind presenter Kiersten Flaig.

Hopefully, this hands-on event will prove to be a positive learning experience for these young entrepreneurs.

“It’s really nice to get that reassurance from entrepreneurs in the area that you are doing a good job,” said Flaig.

Visitors of the expo were asked to vote on which of the eight presentations they thought was best, and Nature Cooks received the Best Overall award based on the votes of those in attendance.

By — Justin Othoudt