Photos by Rick D'Elia
The ingredients blended perfectly for Dillan Krohn, just like his Krohn Kreamer product that he pitched Friday night at the Canyon Challenge at Grand Canyon University’s Sunset Auditorium.
In the eyes of three judges, Krohn pitched a profitable product that would solve flavor and health concerns for coffee consumers.
That pitch was good enough for Krohn to win the $2,500 first-place prize over four competitors who pitched products worthy of top prize consideration.
“Consumers in this market are dying for a product that will make the coffee taste better but also make them feel better,” Krohn told an energetic and supportive audience.
It was a festive night for the IDEA Club, which fosters student entrepreneurship under the leadership of Canyon Ventures founding director Robert Vera and entrepreneurship chair Tim Kelley.
The IDEA Club presents the Shark Tank-like event each semester and awards cash prizes totaling $6,000.
Lawn Shell, which produces canopies designed to protect landscapers, earned the runner-up prize of $1,500. Lawn Shell founder Cody Enck received an additional $1,000 for winning the People’s Choice Award, as selected by the audience.
Wake Share, an Airbnb for boats and water sports equipment founded by Ainsley Ross, earned the third-place prize of $1,000.
For Krohn, this capped a semester’s worth of complete devotion, starting from the time he enrolled in Vera’s business execution class.
“The whole point of the class is to present it to win the Canyon Challenge,” said Krohn, a junior majoring in entrepreneurship who plans to graduate next spring. “I created the product and kept modifying it throughout the class and studied every day.”
Krohn said he’s an avid coffee drink who pays close attention to his health. He avoids using regular creamer because he does not deem it as healthy.
“I had to find a convenient way and freeze it,” Krohn said. “It worked out well.”
Krohn’s Kreamer is dairy free and is presented in liquid form like an Otter Pop that can be frozen, refrigerated or served at room temperature.
According to Krohn, his creamer contains only 13.23 grams of calories per serving, 3.0 grams of collagen peptides, .22 grams of fat, no sugar and 2.5 grams of protein, along with calcium, iron and unsweetened cocoa powder.
“Americans are moving away from processed foods,” Krohn said. “… I also want to tailor a product to those group of people because I know they’ll buy it.”
Since embarking on his product, Krohn said he tried 10 different recipes, with his roommates serving as testers and recommending which flavors taste the best.
Those testers mobbed Krohn on stage after he was presented with an enlarged check commemorating his prize money.
Krohn said he already has 83 preorders and is looking to manufacture and package his product with the possibility of getting a provisional patent. He hopes to sell Krohn Kreamer at coffee shops and grocery stores.
“But I’ll lean on the CCOB (Colangelo College of Business) and Robert Vera for guidance and advice,” Krohn said.
If a group of Discover GCU students wanted to learn about success stories, they saw it firsthand with Krohn’s victory.
Krohn grew up in Pandora in northwest Ohio and was one of 48 students in his high school graduation class. He wanted to go to college in Arizona and selected GCU after taking a Discover GCU trip because of its business program and affordability.
“I wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t for the Discover trip,” Krohn said.
Judges Nick Kasten, vice president of Strategy A for the National Bank of Arizona (and a GCU alum), and Trinity Capital directors Austin Dusek and Melana Ferguson asked a few questions after each presenter made their five-minute pitch accompanied by charts and data to support their presentations.
Each candidate was required to deliver a pitch at a minimum of two IDEA Club meetings in order to be considered as a finalist. Enck appeared more relaxed than his first pitch event as he made a convincing delivery on the hazards of landscapers and lawn cutters, how his product could solve those problems at a price more reasonable than his competitors, and how his canopy could reduce liability issues to owners.
Before the finalists made their final pitches, Kate Hames of Anomaly Co. and RaSean McMiller of Aluee Haircare reciprocated their recognition by thanking the IDEA Club for their support.
Vice President of Markets Andrew Bussmann reported the IDEA Club’s Marketplace produced an estimated $40,000 in sales last Thursday and Friday after producing more than $88,000 in revenue during three Marketplaces prior to last week.
Three Marketplace businesses were honored: Lynx Athletic Club (Social Impact Award); Uncontainable Wear (Most influential and Empowering Award), and Canyon Crafted (Trendsetter Award).
North Valley Christian Academy juniors David Thomas and Jacen Ellis were honored as junior innovators as they pitched their Student Connect tutoring business. They were presented with GCU Noggin Boss hats and Nineteentwenty apparel – fitting gifts since both companies are products of Canyon Ventures that landed a sponsor on Shark Tank.
Scottsdale Christian Academy and Notre Dame Prep joined NVCA in securing partnerships with GCU as part of its Entrepreneurship 3000 project that aims to entice 3,000 future student entrepreneurs to enroll at GCU by December 2025.
GCU News Senior Writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at Mark.Gonzales@gcu.edu
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