A team of Vermont Tech students, Manny Aretakis and Jack Beauparlant, took first place in the 2018 LaunchVT Collegiate Competition for their business pitch, Green Mountain Maple Innovations.
Aretakis and Beauparlant have developed a prototype tool that will assist sugar makers in making tube connections to their taps. Both team members bring a unique blend of skills to the business; Aretakis has a background in mechanical and manufacturing engineering and Beauparlant is an experienced sugar maker who has been installing maple tubes since before he was ten years old. Both team members are currently enrolled in business and entrepreneurship programs at Vermont Tech and worked closely with faculty mentors like Professors Gregory Hughes and Shawn Twing of the business department.
The team used CAD modeling software to design their product, 3-D printers to create a rapid prototype, and a CNC mill to create a working porotype that they brought to the pitch. The materials and manufacturing tools can be found on both Vermont Tech campuses in Randolph Center and Williston.
For winning first place Green Mountain Maple Innovations received $4,000, which the team will use towards protecting their intellectual property, and automatic entry to the LaunchVT 2018 competition on May 17th. Vermont Tech is very proud of this team of innovators and wishes them luck in their next pitch.
Read the Seven Days article about new technology in Vermont sugar making.