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Issue: 1033 Date: 6/12/2010
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ST. LOUIS COUNTY AND EDWARD JONES AWARD WINNING ENTREPRENEURS
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| First place: Mobius Therapeutics, LLC, entrepreneurs Ed Timm and Merle Symes |
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St. Louis, MO, June 1, 2010 - Nearly six months after St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley announced the 2010 St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition, St. Louis County Economic Council, in partnership with Edward Jones, awarded three winning business plans with monetary prizes and in-kind services from top-notch firms at a ceremony held at Edward Jones headquarters today.
The Economic Council awarded the companies with prize money of $50,000 for first place, $30,000 second and $20,000 third place, provided by Edward Jones. Legal, accounting and marketing services were donated by Thompson Coburn LLP; Carmody MacDonald P.C.; Armstrong Teasdale LLP; RubinBrown LLP; UHY Advisors MO; LarsonAllen P.C.; Fleishman-Hillard; Brighton Agency; and Standing Partnership; mentoring by Innovate Venture Mentoring Service.
"The objective of the competition was to promote entrepreneurship and the development of startup and early-stage companies in the St. Louis region and that is exactly what we accomplished," said Dooley. "The contest received over 225 business plans each showcasing innovation, talent and job creation, making it a tough task for the judges to choose the three winners."
"The winners of this competition demonstrate the innovation and entrepreneurial drive that is alive in the St. Louis area," said Jim Weddle, Edward Jones managing partner. "We're proud to be a part of this project."
2010 St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition winners:
* First place: Mobius Therapeutics, LLC, entrepreneurs Ed Timm and Merle SymesMobius, a pharmaceutical company, is gaining FDA approval for its sterile kit containing mitomycin-c for use in ophthalmic surgery. Standard care in its current form presents risks with respect to patient care and employee safety. The kit will provide convenience as well as greatly improve shelf life, extending the current standard of two weeks to 24 months. Patients also will gain the benefit of precise dosing, assured sterility and quality assurance.
* Second place: Climb So iLL, Inc., entrepreneurs David Chancellor, Daniel Chancellor and Ian AndersonClimb So iLL, an indoor rock climbing company, will be located just south of downtown St. Louis in the former city hospital power plant building. The facility will feature more than 9,000 square feet of vertical climbing terrain ranging in height from 25 to over 50 feet and include an "Eye Wall," the largest competition bouldering wall in the United States. The climbing walls will accommodate a range of skill levels from beginners to professional rock climbers and offer comprehensive instruction, classes and programs.
* Third place: Mindfull Games, entrepreneurs Dr. Robert, Naomi and Kristin EdmondsMindfull Games creates games that address gaps in the existing educational game marketplace. The product enhances learning by creating socially interactive, research-based games designed to be fun and effective educational experiences that augment traditional teaching methods. Mindfull Games specifically targets the vocabulary for which schools and teachers are held accountable on standardized tests and enhances word retrieval in older adults including brain injury or stroke victims.
"We are enormously grateful to the Economic Council and Edward Jones for the much-needed capital at a time when receiving financing has become increasingly challenging. This prize money will allow us to staff appropriately for our commercial launch," said Mobius Therapeutics President Ed Timm. "The donated services from Thompson Coburn, Rubin Brown and Fleishman-Hillard will help us execute our current round of financing, protect our intellectual property and publicize our accomplishments. These components are the ideal incentives associated with such a competition and are greatly appreciated."
The success of the program indicates the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the region. The Economic Council and Edward Jones will partner again next year to conduct another business plan competition.
About St. Louis County Economic CouncilFounded in 1984, St. Louis County Economic Council serves as the county's economic development agency, driving growth and prosperity in the most economically important county in Missouri. As the only economic development agency in the state to hold the esteemed Accredited Economic Development Organization from the International Economic Development Council, it provides a broad range of services through its six divisions: business development, business finance, economic development collaborative, real estate and community development, St. Louis Enterprise Centers, and World Trade Center Saint Louis.
About Edward Jones
Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. Thefirm's 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly seven million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.
Edward Jones, which ranked No. 2 on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2009," is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones website is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting website is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.
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| Second place: Climb So iLL, Inc., entrepreneurs David Chancellor, Daniel Chancellor and Ian Anderson |
Third place: Mindfull Games, entrepreneurs Dr. Robert, Naomi and Kristin Edmonds |
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