Assignment 10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1

Assignment 10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1

Link to Youtube: https://youtu.be/9iV-FyhAXZc

Principles of Entrepreneurship  

Elevator Pitch 1 

Company: Food Waste and You 

Today you will waste about one pound of food. In a week 7 pounds. A year 365 pounds. In a lifetime over 29 thousand pounds. With this amount of food wasted by every person in the United States, does it make you wonder why 40 million people struggle with hunger, including 12 million children every day here in the United States alone? What if we could reduce our waste by even a pound and give it to someone else that is hungry and that needs this food? That is what I intend to do with Food Waste and You.  

Food Waste and You is a non-profit organization that works directly with local restaurants to try and reduces the amount of food that is wasted every day in their kitchens. Food Waste and You will start in local restaurants with hopes of expanding to catering companies, hotels, and even vacation destinations that house families for weeks at a time. Our services would provide a volunteer to work directly with the restaurant and pick up leftovers from the day's work or food that is deemed unusable by the kitchen and then bring the food to a central location where the food will be given to people in the community that need a meal. Funding for Food Waste and You would come directly from donations. Next time you eat out at a restaurant consider giving you leftovers to someone you see on the street instead of letting the kitchen simply throw it away. Thank you.  

Assignment 9A - Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Assignment 9A - Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Who:

• People that take the extra food with them after family vacations. 
• People that take their leftovers from restaurants home with them and eat them another day. 
• Restaurants that may not get a lot of business and don’t have a lot of food in stock and don’t waste anything.
• Fast food places because all their food is very proportioned and preserved - does not go bad. 
• People that don’t care about wasting food or helping others. 

Interviews: 

1. The first person I interviewed said that they tend to drive to many of their family vacations at houses they stay at for long periods of time and always end up taking all the leftover food with them. 
2. In this interview, I spoke to a local restaurant here in Gainesville that stated that for legal reasons they would not be able to give their leftover food in the kitchen to anyone and that they are instructed to get rid of it after the days work. It was also brought up that the company has a lot of money so does not care for throwing it away and buying more food. 
3. The next person I spoke to said that if she were hungry, she would not know how she would feel about eating someone else’s leftovers. I understood this and she also understood where I was coming from with this opportunity. In the end, she did mention that if she were hungry and living on the streets she would not know where to get food anyways if she did not have any money so this food would likely be a better alternative. 
4. I interviewed another restaurant that simply stated they have gotten the amount of food they need to make in a day to a science and they do not have a lot of food waste. 
5. In the last interview, I spoke to a dad that frequents restaurants with his family and goes on annual family vacations. He mentioned that at restaurants they eat all of their food. Additionally,  on family vacations, they eat out for all of their meals and that any food that is bought at the grocery store tends to be snacks that end up gone by the end of the week. 

What and Why:

After these next five interviews, I have realized that using leftovers off peoples half ate meals may not be correct health wise. Although it could be up to the person to make the decision to take their meal to go and give it to someone on the streets. The organization could focus more on the leftovers in kitchen environments and excess groceries in vacation homes. 

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is in	Restaurants that have a lot of excess food when they prepare the food or at the end of the day. Vacation destinations that house people for weeks with excess groceries in the house.	Restaurants that do not have any leftovers at the end of the day. Families that eat out for every meal on vacation.
What the need is	Need to reduce food waste and help others that are in need of a meal by giving what would be waste to someone else.	The need is not something that everyone sees as necessary or a reasonable opportunity to resolve.
Why the need exists	Restaurants make food in excess and families by excess amounts of food at the beginning of family vacations. People living on the streets are hungry and need food.	People may not see this solution as viable or safe because it could possibly spread germs if someone's leftovers are given to another person.

Assignment 7A- Testing The Hypothesis Part 1

Assignment 7A- Testing The Hypothesis Part 1

1) The Opportunity:

 I believe that there is an opportunity when it comes to the amount of food wasted in the United States. This opportunity is present in restaurants, hotels, and vacation destinations where houses are rented out for weeks at a time.

2) Opportunity Breakdown:

The Who: Local businesses (restaurants), hotels, or vacation destinations houses that have excess or wasted food that is usable/edible given the right organization to take that food and give it to those in need. 

The What: Food wasted at the end of the day at restaurants and unused food at the end of week/weeks of vacation. 

The Why: Waste of food is wrong especially when there are people going hungry in the same communities that this useful food is going to waste. 

3) Hypothesis on the opportunity:

The Who: I believe that this "who" could be extended to even single family homes that have excess food or unused food they no longer need. Additionally, I think a service like this could be useful for catering companies that supply food at events like weddings and fundraisers. 

The What: I think that the boundaries for this need would be essentially "reusing" food that people would be okay with consuming even if it was already served on someone else's plate. When I give my leftovers to a homeless man or woman on the street, it does not phase me that they are consuming something that likely contains germs from when I was eating it. I think this is where there needs to be a balance between what is right and wrong. Just because someone is homeless, does not mean that they need to eat contaminated food, but at the same time these same people would have likely searched the dumpsters to find something to eat. 

The Why: Not everyone participating in the organization would feel comfortable giving "used" food to another person. Those receiving the food may also feel uncomfortable. 

4) Interviews:

#1 - Local Anonymous Restaurant Owner in Miami

In this interview, the owner recognized the need for an organization or service that would assist in the process of reducing the amount of food wasted in his restaurant. The owner even mentioned that he would be willing to give food that was deemed "unusable" by his chefs that he usually would end-up taking home to cook for his family. He was also open to the idea of having someone on his own staff trained or to have someone from the organization stop by at the end of the night to pick up any food "waste" produced from that night's business. He seemed open to the idea. 

#2 - Anonymous Chain Restaurant Owner in Miami

In this interview, the owner seemed less open to the idea. Chain restaurants are difficult to manage compared to locally owned businesses. There is more bureaucracy involved and the person that you think is the owner is really not. The owner mentioned that the idea is a good one especially in fast food restaurants where a lot of food goes to waste at the end of the day. From this interview, I felt as though an organization would not work as effectively as it would in a locally owned business where the person in charge of the establishment could make more direct decisions or the goings on of the restaurant. 

#3 - 23-Year-Old Student from Miami that Frequents Restaurants

In this interview, it became evident that people that frequent restaurants understand the problem as well. They recognize the need for an organization like this one. I could relate to much of what the person mentioned regarding giving leftovers to homeless people on the street and their sentiments on throwing away food. They also mentioned that restaurants could benefit from being a low waste establishment which I did not think about. 

#4 - 45-Year-Old Mother of 3 who goes on vacation for 2 weeks every summer in Seaside, FL

In this interview, the need for a service at vacation rental destinations became clear. The mother mentioned that she becomes concerned at the end of their time on vacation when she still sees plenty of food left in the fridge or the pantry of the house they are staying in. She also stated that when she goes grocery shopping she tries to buy food that she knows the family will eat and buys them in limited amounts, but often on vacation you eat out or are out of the house all day at the beach or doing something and forget that there is food at the house. She was very interested in the idea that something could be done to help decrease the amount of food she is forced to leave at the end of the week. She also mentioned that often the people that clean the house take the food that is left to their own families which she mentioned helped but that they likely did not take all of it and throw out a majority. 

#5 - Hotel Owner in Miami 

In this interview, the owner mentioned that he has 3 different restaurants in his hotel and then the hotel kitchen that services room service for the guests. The restaurants in his hotel are privately managed and he does not know as much regarding their food waste as he did about the hotel kitchen so he mostly spoke about that. He was genuinely interested in the idea and made it seem like someone passing by the hotel at the end of the day to pick up food waste would be possible. Regarding the food from the restaurants, he knows that they deal with food going bad because it is unused so he spoke some about the possibility of giving away that food or the organization paying a lower price for it when it seems like it will continue to be unused before it goes bad. 

5) Summary/Reflection:

Similarly to the previous interview that I conducted, these interviews allowed me to realize that the possibility for a company or organization like this is possible. I do believe that initially, it would work most effectively on a local scale with small businesses and then it would grow from there. Chain restaurants would be difficult because of the bureaucracy involved, but maybe once there is growth in the company this would become a possibility. 

Assignment 8A - Solving The Problem

Assignment 8A - Solving The Problem

Opportunity:
I believe that there is an opportunity when it comes to the amount of food wasted in the United States. This opportunity is present in restaurants, hotels, and vacation destinations where houses are rented out for weeks at a time.


Service/Product:
The service that would be provided for this opportunity would be a non-profit organization that would cater to the specific location that food waste prevention is needed. 

Restaurants: The service offered at restaurants would include someone in the kitchen assisting with the preparation with meals and the food wasted in this process. The service would also be used when the restaurant closes and any food that would normally be thrown away as excess, to be given to the representative of the organization or someone appointed by the organization that works in the restaurant. In the restaurant, there would also be an option for the customers to donate any leftovers that they have of their meal to the organization if the food is still salvageable and not contaminated. 

Hotels: The service offered at hotels would be related to the restaurants and room service that people order from the kitchen. Like the restaurant service at a local business, hotels would have someone from the organization or appoint someone to collect the extra food from preparation or leftovers when the kitchen closes. Additionally, guests could decide to donate their leftovers if their meal is still salvageable and not contaminated. 

Vacation Houses: The service offered at vacation destinations would manage the excess food after weeks of staying at a specific location. This service would be related to excess groceries that may have been bought by the family or families staying in a house. At the end of the week after checkout, someone in the organization would pass by each of the houses and collect the excess food that was left by the guests. 


The food collected would be brought back to a central location in the area where it would either be used to prepare something or be given directly to those in need of a meal. 

Assignment 6A - Identifying Opportunities in Economic Regulatory Trends

Assignment 6A - Identifying Opportunities in Economic Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends

1. Climate Change and the Economy
• I found this information on Business Insider. The information in the following article allowed to establish that climate change will affect the economy when it comes to insurance and reduces growth in the GDP of the united states by 0.2-0.4% annually from 2070-2099. 
• https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-could-cut-us-growth-by-a-third-by-end-of-century-2018-8
• The information that leads me to believe that there is an opportunity here is that because climate change is and will ultimately affect the GDP of the United States, everyone is affected by this. 
• If one specific group of people were to be selected, I believe that the prototypical customer would be those who just graduated from college. With a decrease in GDP, unemployment increases and it will become more difficult for people entering the working world to get secure jobs. 
• This opportunity would be very difficult to solve simply because climate change is happening at an exponential rate and is seemingly impossible to stop or prevent. Everyone on the planet contributes to pollution every day because of things, like eating meat and driving cars, all contribute to our carbon footprint. I believe that the only way there would be a chance of preventing or slowing down this process would be to improve the efficiency in the agriculture industry and try and reduce the number of animal products consumed and used in the United States. 
• I saw this opportunity because I personally feel connected to the subject of climate change. I do not consume any animal products (yes, I am a vegan) because I think it is the most effective way to make a change and reduce my carbon footprint. I believe the reason more is not being done about climate change is because many still believe it is not real and many do not fully understand their own carbon footprint and how a simple thing like eating a burger, can affect the environment. 
2. Baby Boomer Business Owners Not Retiring 
• Baby Boomer generation refuses to retire. This generation of retirement would contribute to a loss of institutional knowledge, a shift in the job market, and a drain on Social Security. 
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/08/30/what-silver-tsunami-retiring-baby-boomer-business-owners-could-mean-their-workers/?utm_term=.193ca714009a
• I believe that there is an opportunity in the fact that Baby Boomers are not retiring from their jobs and not allowing for millennials to fill their spaces. Because of this, millennials are forced to find other sources of income outside of their ideal job or they create startups. This can be connected to the increase in the number of entrepreneurs in the last decade. 
• I believe that the typical customer would be the student who recently graduated from college or university and is looking for a job. 
• I believe that his opportunity is difficult to exploit because it is up to the person to decide when they retire. There are both positive and negative aspects to the fact that Baby Boomers are not retiring. There is a lot of knowledge in different industries right now, but when that knowledge does decide to finally leave there will be no one trained well enough to perform adequately quickly. 
• I chose this opportunity because my generation will see the effects of the Baby Boomer generation's retirement and will be personally affected by them. 

Regulatory Trends

1. Gun Control Laws in Florida
• After the Stoneman Douglas School shooting, the first successful gun control measure in Florida in more than 20 years was made. Although it did not ban assault weapons, it was a small step. 
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/us/florida-gun-bill.html
• School shootings, or mass shootings in general, have increased exponentially over the past decades. After the Pulse Night Club shooting in Orlando, significant change in gun reform was not made. However, after the Stoneman Douglas shooting students protested and went to the capital to enact change and changes were made, including raising the age to buy a weapon to 21 years old. I think gun control should be a concern to everyone in the United States. We live in a country were essentially everyone has a way of purchasing a firearm, legally or illegally, and events like school shootings are unpredictable. 
• The customers affected by this are Florida residents. 
• Even though regulation is put in place on guns, if someone truly wanted access to a bump stock or a gun before the age of 21, they would find a way to get their hands on one. An important aspect of this new law was that $400 million dollars were put into the mental health services and school security of the state. This is an extremely difficult and sensitive opportunity that needs to be handled safely. 
• I personally am connected to this legislation because I was born and raised in Miami and my school participated in marches or Stoneman Douglas after the shooting happened. It is important to me that positive change in both gun laws and the health care system are made to address the way that violence is reduced in America. 
2. Decrease Regulation of Methane Emissions by Energy Companies
• This regulation will be the third step for the Trump Administration to reduce federal efforts to fight climate change. It will make it easier for energy companies to release methane into the atmosphere. 
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fpolitics&action=click&contentCollection=politics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=search&contentPlacement=12&pgtype=sectionfront
• This opportunity allows energy companies in the oil and gas industry to save about $484 million by 2025, where with the regulation they are planning on reducing would have cost companies about $530 million by 2025. Clean renewable energy is on the rise and this goes against what many Americans and countries around the world are asking for - clean, renewable, and safe energy. 
• The customers for this opportunity are energy companies. The customers could also be the everyday American as oil prices could decrease because of a reduction in the regulation of methane emission. 
• This opportunity is easy for oil companies to exploit as many of them aim at just making a profit. This opportunity does have a negative effect on the environment and climate change as methane increase the greenhouse effect far more than carbon. 
• I see this opportunity because I believe that climate change is something real and needs active change. This decrease in regulation would do the opposite fo that and allow for oil and non-renewable energy companies to release more greenhouse gases into the environment. 

Assignment 5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Assignment 5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity 1
Title: Miami-Dade Animal Services Stresses Importance of Microchipping Your Pet 
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASMNS%21South%2BMiami%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0814%21August%2B14&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16DCC87D4C0D3C50
Story: This article talks about how thousands of pets are lost and unclaimed every year because they do not have any identifiable chips or tags on them. The article talks about a study done by the American Veterinary Medical Association and how only 21.9% of dogs without microchips were safely returned to their owners while dogs that were microchipped were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. This reflects how important microchips in you animals are so that when they are found they can be brought home. It emphasizes how tag IDs on a color only are helpful if the pet wears the collar or harness and how microchips don't “get lost."
Problem: Thousands of pets every year are lost or abandoned and end-up at animal shelters but do not have chips or any identifiable tags on them. Tag ID’s easily get misplaced or lost and when an animal is missing a collar and is not microchipped there is no way to return the pet back to their owner if the owner does not reach out to the shelter that has the dog. 
Who: Pet owners experience this problem and the animals themselves as they are not returned to their owners. Animal shelters can also experience a problem if they accumulate a lot of animals in the shelter and do not have space for them. 


Opportunity 2
Title: Why Does my Child Cough During His First Week in School? Are We Aware of Mold in Schools?
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASMNS%21South%2BMiami%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0911%21September%2B11&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16E5FACC62C68EB0
Story: This article starts by telling how in Southwestern Pennsylvania, schools were postponed the first days of the semester because mold was found in their classrooms. This happens because of the rainy and muggy atmosphere. This problem also occurs in South Florida during hurricane season. The article mentions how finding a solution to the moisture and mold causes much confusion and frustration for School Districts and is a problem that needs to be taken care of as it causes health problems. Once the AC turns on at the start of the school year, all the mold that has been growing over the long summer is blown into the air as mold bio-particles. According to pediatricians, children with asthma or mold allergies can experience difficulty breathing and coughing during this time. 
Problem: Mold that has been growing during the summer months in South Florida goes into the air at schools and gets the students sick 
Who: This problem is for the students and parents regarding illness and for the school districts, they risk getting sued. 


Opportunity 3
Title: House Built More Than 30 Years Ago? Your Home May Be At Greater Risk for Mold.
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASMNS%21South%2BMiami%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0731%21July%2B31&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16D92E75999A0808
Story: This article talks about the growing problem of mold in older houses in South Florida. Florida’s weather allows for the perfect moisture-rich atmosphere to allow mold to grow in all parts of the home. The first place that mold tends to grow is the AC unit and ducting. The article mentions the type of air-conditioning systems built before the 1980s used window-mounted air conditioning that is more prone to accumulating mold. Crawlspaces and attics can increase the amount of mold in the home. 
Problem: Mold in the house can cause problems with people with asthma and allergies. The mold can cause sinus problems and itchy eyes leading to Fibromyalgia. 
Who: The people living in houses that are old experience this problem. 

Opportunity 4
Title: The Perils of Hospitals for An Elderly Family Member
Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ASMNS%21South%2BMiami%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2018%212018/mody%3A0703%21July%2B03&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/16CFE5A7576E3EC8
Story: This article talks about how hospitals are treating the elderly like “money machines” and not people. When elderly people are taken to the emergency room, a series of tests can be run and an inconclusive result found so they are just sent home. In the article, this exact situation occurs. The author describes a personal situation in which he found himself taking his 90-year-old father to the emergency room twice within 48 hours. The first time they went, inconclusive results were found so he was sent home. The second time, they ran the same exact tests and concluded that they needed to admit him and run more test. Hospitals only get paid by Medicare and insurance companies if on the second ER visit the patient is admitted. After every test was performed on his father, two days later they allowed him to leave with a diagnosis of dehydration. 
Problem: Elderly people are mistreated in emergency rooms and tests are run for no reason. The hospitals run tests and admit elderly patients to make money off of them because they are easy targets and will likely agree to whatever tests need to be run in order to ensure they are healthy enough to go home. 
Who: Elderly people and their families are affected by this because the elderly are treated as products that produce revenue rather than being actual people than need appropriate healthcare. 

Opportunity 5
Title: Hotels, Restaurants Still Scramble for Tourist Dollars in Post-Irma Recovery
Link: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article217506235.html
Story: This article talks about how even a year later, restaurants in the keys continue to struggle in rebounding and returning as “business as usual” after Hurricane Irma last year. The lodging industry is 90% of what it was before Irma. Lodging in July 2018 was down 11% over last year. Businesses are still closed today and some are just reopening especially in the lower-middle keys. Many places had do undergo millions in renovations 
Problem: Many small businesses in the keys are still recovering from Hurricane Irma last year. Business revenue is down and along with tourism in key west. 
Who: Local small businesses in the lower-middle keys

Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief


1) Your Beginning Point:

I believe that there is an opportunity when it comes to the amount of food wasted in restaurants.

2) Describe Your Belief:

Every day, restaurants may serve hundreds of meals and often, the customer does not eat all of their food, the chef makes a mistake in the order so the food is thrown out, or parts of foods may be considered “unusable” and thrown away. This need has always existed in restaurants, but I believe that now it is exponentially growing especially in chain restaurants in the food industry as food portion sizes increase. According to ReFED, a food waste company, 63 million tons of food is wasted every year, 11.4 million tons of which come from food wasted in US restaurants alone. This food has an estimated value of $25 billion per year. In a 2014 study by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, it was determined that 84.3% of unused food in US restaurants ends up being disposed of, while only 14.3% is recycled, and only 1.4% is donated. Currently, restaurants are making an effort to reduce this waste and some large chain eateries like Panera bread, package unsold bread, and baked goods and donate them to local hunger relief and charitable organizations. I believe that there is a 75% chance that this opportunity exists. 

Interview #1: Local Anonymous Restaurant Owner in Miami

• How many meals does your restaurant serve a day? 
• Depending on the day of the week, anywhere between 200-300. 
• Have you noticed an increase in serving sizes in general across the United States?
• Yes, but we have not varied in the food amounts we serve. We stick to serving sizes that should be consumed for a meal. As a restaurant owner, I recognize the health problems and how obesity has increased exponentially in the past decades and I do not wish to contribute to this statistic. 
• Did you know that US restaurants waste about 11.4 million tons of food every year and 84.3% of this unused food ends up being disposed of?
• I know the statistics and it is something that being part of the restaurant industry I am not proud of. To an extent, I think that food waste is unavoidable because there are parts of fruits, vegetables, animals, that you simply cannot use. But, when it comes to food that sits in a kitchen and goes bad or food that is made and not eaten, there is a big problem. 
• Do you believe that there is a need for a solution to the amount of food wasted at restaurants? 
• Yes. 
• When did you first notice this need and is it something that you experience all the time?
• I knew food waste was a problem growing up, but I did not realize how much of a problem it was until I opened my own restaurant. When you check stock and realize that you have food that went bad you start to feel guilty about having to throw out that unused food that could have been used to make something.
• As a business owner/manager/customer, do you ever feel guilty about throwing away food knowing that people around the world and in your local community are starving?
• Of course. I recognize the needs of others in my community and feel horrible when I have to throw out useful food. 
• Are you currently addressing this need in any way? And do you believe that there is a better solution to this problem?
• I believe that there is a solution to this problem and it depends on both the restaurant and customers to make a difference. Additionally, I think third party intervention would be helpful when it comes to reducing the amount of food that is thrown away. This third party could step in and take the leftover food and donate it. Currently, my restaurant does not do anything with food that is deemed useless. 

Reflection: 

I believe that there is a great opportunity with small local restaurants because they likely have not received as much public criticism for the amount of food their restaurant throws away. 

Interview #2: Anonymous Chain Restaurant Owner in Miami

• How many meals does your restaurant serve a day? 
• Around 600
• Have you noticed an increase in serving sizes in general across the United States?
• Yes, specifically in chain fast food places. This restaurant has maintained its serving sizes and I don't believe contributes to this. 
• Did you know that US restaurants waste about 11.4 million tons of food every year and 84.3% of this unused food ends up being disposed of?
• With the amount of food that I see move in and out of this establishment, I would not doubt it. 
• Do you believe that there is a need for a solution to the amount of food wasted at restaurants? 
• Yes, especially after you told me that there is 11.4 million tons of food wasted every year. 
• When did you first notice this need and is it something that you experience all the time?
• I noticed a need for this when I first entered the restaurant business 10 years ago. People would order amounts of food that they obviously could not finish. 
• As a business owner/manager/customer, do you ever feel guilty about throwing away food knowing that people around the world and in your local community are starving?
• Yes. 
• Are you currently addressing this need in any way? And do you believe that there is a better solution to this problem?
• This location participates in the Harvest Program which the chain participates in. It seeks to reduce the amount of food that is wasted and seeks to donate it to local organizations that feed those in need. 

Reflection: 

I think chain restaurants have this biggest problem with it comes to wasting food. they have the money and resources to throw away food compared to small local businesses that may be more considerate of what food they throw away and how big their serving sizes are. I knew that companies were trying to make an effort to reduce their food waste and I was pleased to hear that this large chain restaurant is working toward reducing their food waste. 

Interview #3: 23-Year-Old Student from Miami that Frequents Restaurants

• How often do you eat out? 
• It depends on where I am, but on weekdays I tend to go to the same place and order the same quick lunch, but for dinner, I usually eat out 4 times a week. If I am in a different city I eat out for every meal. 
• Do you consume all your food when you do eat out? If not what do you do with the food?
• I try to but I don't want to make myself feel sick with the amount of food I am sometimes served. If I am at dinner and have leftover food I usually take it home with me and have it the next day. When I am in a different city I tend to take any leftovers I have and give them to the first homeless person that I see. I don't like wasting food. 
• Have you noticed an increase in serving sizes in general across the United States?
• Definitely yes. I feel as though most chain restaurants and fast food places have almost given into this trend of "more is better" and have made larges the new small. I think its something that the US needs to work on especially as obesity and health problems have increased with this. 
• Did you know that US restaurants waste about 11.4 million tons of food every year and 84.3% of this unused food ends up being disposed of?
• Wow. That's crazy. I knew that the US wasted a lot of food but I did not realize it was that much food. I feel like you could feed a small country with that food. If anything, feed starving Americans. 
• Do you believe that there is a need for a solution to the amount of food wasted at restaurants? 
• Yes. 
• When did you first notice this need and is it something that you experience all the time?
• I couldn't quite tell you when I first noticed the need necessarily but I definitely notice the amount of food that is wasted when I eat out and see plates going back to the kitchen with what looks like a full meal on it. 
• As a business owner/manager/customer, do you ever feel guilty about throwing away food knowing that people around the world and in your local community are starving?
• Yes! I feel so guilty about wasting and throwing away food knowing that people living in my own community suffer from access to proper nutrition.

Reflection: 

It is not only restaurant owners and managers that realize the problem, it is the customers themselves. I found it comforting knowing that people are aware of the problem and trying to do small things, like giving their leftovers to those in need.

Summary:

I believe that my opportunity belief is still there and that there is a great need for a solution to the amount of food wasted in the restaurant industry in the United States. I think that initially, it may be easier to offer solutions on a local level at local restaurants as many large chain restaurants have their own programs to address this need, although there may be an opportunity in partnering with these pre-established programs. A possible solution for these chain restaurants could involve someone with more local experience rather than someone that manages numerous restaurants across a state. For local restaurants, less waste is being produced than these chain restaurants but if many local restaurants in the same area create a partnership and work together on tackling this issue, a large impact to the local community in reducing food waste can be made. I think a large part of entrepreneurship is addressing this customer need and customer feedback. If you don't understand the customer and their needs and situation, how could you expect your customers to actually consider your product or service? I do believe that it is important for entrepreneurs to maintain some sort of firmness in their intention and the problem they plan on addressing. If the customer wishes to change a lot about the service or product that causes a shift in the goal and value you started with, I think an entrepreneur should stay firm. 

Assignment 3A - My Entrepreneurship Story

My Entrepreneurship Story

One experience with entrepreneurship that I often think about is my experience in Guatemala last summer and how Phillip Wilson, native to the country, after graduating from Wharton School of Business, decided to return and address a major problem in his home country - access to clean water. I was in Guatemala on a medical service trip with students from Duke and Johns Hopkins University. I was not there a medical student as I was still in high school, but I was there to learn and interact with patients. Part of my experience and time there involved learning about local companies and local issues. While there we also needed to conduct our own research as to how a problem in the community can be solved. Phillip Wilson started a company called Ecofiltro that directly addresses the problem of access and affordability to clean water in the rural households of Guatemalans. 

Although I did not get the opportunity to speak to Phillip Wilson, I was able to speak with some of the coordinators in my program who have worked directly with the company and with Phillip. Phillip believes in what he is doing and found a problem that not needs to be solved, but he has found a way to do this in a business-savvy way. He recognized that the company could not survive on donations alone as Guatemala was a poor country and the government would not be able to help. He decided to create a hybrid approach to sales where the urban sales and more expensive models for the filter allow the rural model, a plastic container with the eco filter in it, to be affordable and culturally acceptable by the locals living in the impoverished rural areas of Guatemala. The family that I was living with during my time there had one of these eco filters and they said that it changed their life. The people in these local communities do have a sense of pride and Phillip knew this. He knew his audience and those that needed the help would not just want a solution given to them that they didn't have to pay for, the people want to solve their own problems and the small price they have to pay allows them to do just that.

I admire Phillip for his work in Guatemala and how he was able to take a problem he saw in his own community and find a solution in an economic and socially acceptable way. 

(I wasn't allowed to take photos during my time there out of the privacy for the family and patients so I got this image from the Ecofiltro's website)

Yes, I am an engineering student majoring in Biomedical Engineering on a Pre-Med track, but I am planning on minoring in entrepreneurship. No, I am not doing that because I am being “extra” or an “overachiever,” I am simply doing it because I want to have options in my life and the knowledge to do what I want with it when I want it. I love medicine and science and everything about it, but if one day I wake up and I decided that I no longer want to work for X company or Y hospital, I want to be able to have the ability to start something that I am passionate about, something that I believe in. If this means one day opening my dream coffee shop in Brooklyn called Cat’s Corner then so be it. Engineering will give me the problem-solving mindset and this class will help me know the problem. And if we are being honest, my engineering degree will also (hopefully) make me financially stable in the future and once I get tired of it (if it happens because it could not), I want to be able to be even if it means I try and fail at starting 50 different businesses. I just want to have the knowledge to somewhat know what I am doing.