Peter Van Davelaar (top left) of Wave Coffee Brewer, Alexis Perkins of Chair One Fitness and Rodger Bennett and Celeste Vaughn of Hottrok (bottom) were named the winners of Start Peninsula via Zoom on Nov. 4. (Courtesy image)
Three startups will get $5,000 each and help growing their businesses after winning this year’s virtual Start Peninsula contest on Nov. 4.
Of 10 finalists, the winners selected by a panel of judges were Chair One Fitness, Hottrok and Wave Coffee Brewer.
Alexis Perkins, a Zumba instructor for 11 years and former lead instructor for Fuzion Fitness that aired a TV program in Hampton Roads, pitched Chair One Fitness, a chair-based dance fitness program. She told judges her eyes opened after a couple of the chair-based exercise videos she posted online garnered hundreds of thousands of views. One on YouTube garnered more than 597,000 views — many more views than her typical fitness videos.
“So, we know that the fitness industry is really good about getting people excited to work out but they forgot an entire demographic — they forgot all the people who can’t stand so well,” Perkins said.
Chair One Fitness offers on-demand workout videos, virtual classes with a live instructor or in-person classes. A large part of the business is its instructor training program. Perkins said she started developing chair choreography nine years ago because of demand. Instructors can use their certifications to teach through Chair One or at churches or other facilities. Instructors can become members for access to ongoing education, choreography and other resources.
Start Peninsula helps encourage entrepreneurs to keep going, particularly when they validate their business ideas, she said.
“It gives you a little bit more confidence to keep pushing,” Perkins said. “All entrepreneurs, they need a lot of grit.”
Rodger Bennett, a professional tile setter, and Celeste Vaughn pitched Hottrok, which is a panel system installed beneath tiles for heated floors. They said their substrate product comes in a grid pattern with a predictable flat surface to make it easier for contractors to install floor heating. He said the material readily accepts warm wire and has both thermal and acoustic insulating properties.
The co-founders plan to work with custom builders initially and Hottrok could even help grow the market for heated flooring, they said.
“Electric radiant heat is the way of the future,” Bennett told the judges.
Inventor Peter Van Davelaar in Norfolk pitched Wave Coffee Brewer, a brewing system made for K-cups that sits atop a mug in the microwave. He developed the product as a portable solution for traveling in recreational vehicles or for easy storage and saving counter space, like in an apartment or dorm room. He plans to sell the system online at WaveTravelBrewer.com.
“It’s nice to get positive feedback on an invention that I’ve been working on,” Van Davelaar said. “It’s nice to have some indication that I’m not going in the wrong direction.”
The winners also received a six month community membership to Launchpad, the Greater Williamsburg Business Incubator, according to a news release.
Start Peninsula, which began in 2012, was hosted by Williamsburg, James City County and York County in partnership with the cities of Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson. The event is funded by the six regional economic development authorities to support entrepreneurship.
Tara Bozick, 757-247-4741, tbozick@insidebiz.com
