Riley Harwood

Opportunity:  An app that scans barcodes or QR codes and lets the consumer know how ethically the product was produced The Who: Consumers concerned about the environment and ethics. The What:  They are unable to know if the product is truly ethical The Why: Companies usually don't want consumers to know upfront. Hypothesis: Many people want to know who is producing their products and just how ethically it is being done. Interviews Radyn (19): Radyn is someone who thinks that knowing how a product was made is of great importance. She thinks that companies often don't make it very easy for people to know how the product was made.  Sydney (20): Sydney agrees that an app letting consumers know how a product was made would be of great use to her. She is very concerned about her environmental footprint and would love a way to know what she is leaving behind.  Lainey (20): Lainey thinks that many of her friends would use a product like this. But, being an av...

An independent parking garage near campus that would allow students to pay for a pass or single-use. It would be cheaper than school parking passes but would be a good deal for students who live off-campus and need to come on campus for the day and park.  I found this opportunity from personal experience. Parking at UF is a nightmare and sometimes the Reitz parking garage is full or far away. Just last night I was 20 minutes late to a club meeting because I was looking for parking. I think this opportunity exists because many off-campus students don't want to pay for a parking pass because they're expensive. But these students still have to park on campus sometimes due to being late, club meetings, events, etc. While there are times where parking restrictions are lifted it is not campus-wide and some are only for students with a pass. The customer would-be college students here at UF. This product would be hard to exploit due to the work that would go into buying the land a...

Gainesville Businesses that promote sustainability.  https://www.alligator.org/the_avenue/gainesville-businesses-that-promote-sustainability/article_6350690e-9fb7-11ea-9f57-97d6b9944314.html This is a story just showing different businesses that are sustainable in our area. The problem is that most clothing stores are not sustainable, so local people have started their own businesses that offer sustainable clothing. Who has the problem is anyone who wants to shop either local or sustainably.  UF's CWC introduces COVID-19 virtual support group  This is a story displaying how UF counseling services have stayed functioning during COVID-19. The problem displayed here is that many students need mental health help in these trying times and don't have a way to access it. So they are now able to speak virtually ina group just for people affected by COVID.  What If? This is a story discussing the lack of live sporting events and what it could mean for the future. ...

An app that not only tells you where an item was made but who it was made by and how ethically.  Not knowing whether something was made ethically is hard to deal with because it keeps you from knowing whether or not you are buying sustainably. Anyone who wants to shop ethically or sustainably has this need that has gone unmet. While there are stores that you can know everything was made sustainably they are not always economically feasible. There needs to be an option for more widely available brands.  Anyone who wants to know who made their clothes and how sustainably it was made.  I interviewed my friend Sydney who is very concerned about her environmental footprint. She became aware of a need for something like this when she found out that companies would lie about how eco-friendly they are. She was satisfied with this solution because it's a way to fact-check big companies. 

In elementary school, I attended a magnet style school. I was part of the business magnet and in this, I was able to learn about entrepreneurship and government. I was able to start my own business in our school's marketplace and also work in another shop the school had. It was a great experience that really taught me what it means to run a business.

Lack of knowledge when it comes to fast fashion.  Fast fashion is a problem for a number of reasons but we don't hear much about it.  Not enough secure ways to purchase used clothes online. Things like eBay aren't always legit.  A better way to go thrift shopping digitally.  Some sites exist for this but again it's not always the best.  Not knowing where items were made or how ethically. While most items say what country they were made in you don't know by who or how ethically they were made.  A cat leash training system.  My cat just will not walk on a leash even though he loves being outside. Something like this would help.  More options for biodegradable goods at public restaurants.  Instead of always having to bring your own they should be supplied.  More eco-friendly public spaces. Sustainable parks are hard to come by.  Better education on how to be eco-friendly.  Unless you seek it out it'...

Testing