May 02, 2007
They faced a challenge that would have tested the nerves of many promising student-entrepreneurs — present a 41-page business proposal to a group of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, philanthropists and foundation executives. Then add a timer set at seven minutes and the knowledge that other teams are also competing for prize money.

A master’s degree candidate in the School of Public Health and three second-year dental students had that experience on April 21, as members of a team presenting a new approach to delivering oral health care.

Photograph of student Robbie Harmon

Photograph of student Robbie Harmon

Team members Robbie Harmon from the Department of Health Policy and Administration and Taylor Robinson, Matthew Stevens and Jacob Condon from the School of Dentistry received an honorable mention and $750 in prize money.

Aptly named the Carolina Challenge, the entrepreneurial business plan competition began with an 83-team field representing UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff and students. Sixteen semi-finalist teams made it to the April 21 competition.

The team’s mission, as articulated in their business plan, is to create a prevention-focused structure for dental care – and eliminate third parties from the patient-provider relationship. In their system, patients would pay an annual membership fee of $350, covering two comprehensive oral examinations. Remaining treatment needs would be provided at 60 percent of the regularly charged fees.

“We are offering a new method of dental care delivery, eliminating fiscal intermediaries,” the team states in the plan’s executive summary. “These plans will cost less than typical dental insurance plans and will offer improved benefits including cosmetic procedures. In addition, the plans will emphasize disease prevention and patient education.”

The Internet will be a prominent part of this new approach. “The most important aspect of our website will be patient education,” Robinson said. “We feel that one of the key aspects to providing quality dental care is educating the patient about optimal oral health.”

The idea began in a class discussion on the best ways to provide oral health care; Condon and Robinson began to think about what an optimal approach would include. Robinson received a campus email on the Carolina Challenge that evening and called the eventual team members about entering the competition.

The Carolina Challenge is a student-led project of the Carolina Entrepreneurial Initiative, a campsuswide effort supporting UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff and students in their efforts to launch sustainable enterprises that create value.

 

School of Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

School of Dentistry contact: Deb Saine, (919) 966-2731 or saine@email.unc.edu.

 

 

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