Identifying Local Opportunities

Local Newspaper: The Gainesville Sun

Article #1: Doctor, cosmetologist sentenced to federal prison for fraud

Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200128/doctor-cosmetologist-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-fraud

Description of the story: According to the article, a cosmetologist and licensed DO doctor in Gainesville were mandated to go to federal prison for falsifying health claims, money laundering and health fraud. Together, Mika Harris and Erik Schabert, were charged with 72 counts of fraudulent health claims to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Ms. Harris has been ordered to spend 90 months in prison, while Mr. Shabert will serve 42 months in prison. The two were convicted by a Gainesville jury and ordered to give up several residences and pay $4.4 million in restitution.

Description of the problem: As former patients testified, it became clear that both Harris and Shabert were falsifying health claims to insurance companies for false surgeries and cosmetic procedures that never took place. The pair also made up falsified skin-diagnoses to get a larger payout. In fact, Harris was found guilty on 40 counts of money laundering which accumulated to nearly $3.1 million. This situation highlights a possible opportunity to protect patients who have been subject to such fraud.

Who has the problem: First and foremost, the people implicated in this issue include Mika Harris and Erik Shabert who have been convicted and sentenced to prison. In addition, the patients whose personal information and financial funds have been compromised were also significantly impacted by this case. While this is one case, there have been many cases around the country where this type of violation has occurred. An opportunity definitely exists to help people who have been subject to this type of fraud.

Article #2: Gainesville man charged in 19 car burglaries

Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200128/gainesville-man-charged-in-19-car-     burglaries

Description of the story: On January 16^th, law enforcement authorities were able to apprehend Lucien Byron in a stolen Dodge Journey. Byron was involved in 19 car burglaries on one night in Gainesville. He was ultimately charged with 15 counts of burglary, 1 count of burglary of an emergency vehicle, grand theft, theft of an occupied residence and property damage. Items stolen include money, wallets, prescription medicine, glasses, phones and tablets. Byron even smashed the window of a patrol vehicle to steal a wallet.

Description of the problem: Burglaries such as these are omnipresent in Gainesville. Not only is the local community and university at risk, but people vising from out-of-town are also threatened. Often, before police have secured the area, the burglars have already stolen items and are not found. Heightened awareness and security systems must be put in place to mitigate this issue. I believe a huge opportunity and market exists for security systems in Gainesville. Extra security for vehicles and homes is essential in Gainesville, where so many armed burglaries occur.

Who has the problem: Students and Alachua county resident have the problem because their items are constantly being stolen or damaged. These burglaries are unpredictable and often times the alert we receive as students is “suspect not found.” Increased security systems could help this issue. Especially in the university area, where parents want their kids safe. The police, law enforcement officials and Alachua county also have to deal with this problem because there are so many incidences such as these in the local community. Both real estate and UF are also negatively impacted because people are less likely to come here due to the burglaries and shootings.

Article #3: Motorcyclist dies after Waldo Road crash

            Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200127/motorcyclist-dies-after-waldo-road-crash

Description of the Story: Christopher Wilmer, who was only 32, passed after a collision with an SUV vehicle on Waldo Road. Wilmer was on a motorcycle, but was wearing a helmet when the impact occurred. He was driving during rush hour at 5 P.M. Although the driver of the SUV was not injured, Wilmer died after being taken to Shands hospital.

Description of the problem: In Gainesville, many people drive motorcycles or scooters to go back and forth from work or class. Providing the correct protective gear to prevent deaths like these, could have a big market in the community. Although Wilmer was wearing a helmet, he still died. Having alternative protective gear may have saved his life and prevented such fatal injuries. In addition, implementing cameras in intersections could dissuade people from unsafe driving in the local community.

Who has the problem: Drivers, police and the county are all affected by these types of collisions. A real opportunity exists for the installment of surveillance cameras to ensure that these accidents happen few and far between. If people know cameras are present in busy intersections and they will be fined for any infractions, they will be less likely to pursue unsafe driving.

Article #4: Lane Ranger: Why are four lanes slower than two?

Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200126/lane-ranger-why-are-four-lanes-slower-than-two

Description of the story: As mentioned by John W. Stephenson, lanes were widened on a section of State Route 20, but this had the unintended effect of slowing traffic and more speeding violations. The four lane road has a speed limit of 55 mph, while the two lane road has a limit of 55 mph. Not only does this mean slower moving traffic, but also more people pulled over for “speeding” on a four-lane road. The reason behind this speed change in different sections of the road is because the 4 lane part is in an “urban” area, while the 2-lane section is categorized as “rural.”

Description of the problem:

When the road was initially expanded, the hope was that congestion and faster-moving traffic would be achieved. In juxtaposition, people are actually receiving more speeding violations and fines, while traffic is slow due to a reduced speed limit. An opportunity for monitoring devices or apps that can tell individual drivers where police are, could prevent so many people from “speeding” tickets. Many people are caught off guard because they expect they can go faster on a 4 lane road, when in fact they have to go 10 miles slower than on the 2-lane road.

Who has the problem: Drivers on the road, construction workers, police and the state are all affected by this issue. Construction workers, police and the politicians from all three counties where the road resides are all blamed for unfair ticketing and slow traffic. While, regular travelers are effected by congestion, traffic and fines.

Article #5: Military Training Could Turn Into College Credits

Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200124/military-training-could-turn-into-college-credits

Description of the story: According to the article, Florida legislators are working on a bill to allow military personnel to earn college credit while in the confines of the military. Although, the amount of credits or hours have not been ironed out, receiving credit for training in firefighting, cybersecurity or other fields would be a great way for those serving our country to save time and money. After serving in the military and receiving training in a particular discipline, their efforts would count as college credit and allow them to transition back into normal life more seamlessly.

Description of the problem: Many colleges across the country are increasing their tuition and fees. So for military personnel to come out and then have to go back to school in order to complete a degree would not only put a financial burden on them, but also take more time. The opportunity to receive college credit for their training would enable them to pursue a normal career quicker once they come out of the military. A real opportunity exists for people who want to establish institutions to help military personnel make the transition from the military to normal life smoother.

Who has the problem: Those in the military, colleges and the country are faced with the problem of integrating ex-military personnel back into the workforce. Having a system where they can earn credit while in the military is a great way for them to get a head start. In fact, a major opportunity to build schools and educational programs within the confines of the military exists.

Opportunity Belief

1)      I believe that an opportunity for providing higher education for a more cost-effective and reasonable price exists.

2)      Currently thousands of students with the ability, but without substantial financial backing, find the idea of paying of thousands off in student loans to attend a good institution for college or grad school so daunting, that they often back out and opt for non-traditional training. This group of underserved youth is ever-expanding as college tuition, especially for the ivy-league and other prestigious institutions, is getting ridiculous. In some cases, tuition topples $80,000 a year, an amount that is insurmountable for most people. The unmet need for students who have great grades and ability, but cannot afford a college education is significant. Students between 17-25 are all effected by this unmet need, as a college education is not enough. Many entry level positions for competitive jobs require years of experience and some sort of technical training post-grad. Not only do students have to worry about paying off college loans, but for the majority of cases they also have to worry about grad school. These astronomical prices for education have not existed to this extent. In the past, it was normal for people to make a decent living whether they attended college or not. Nowadays a college and grad school education is almost always required for any entry level job that also pays well. In addition, college and post-grad tuition was nearly 1/3 of what it is now, especially for private institutions. In order to mitigate this crisis, many public institutions have remained staunch in their beliefs and have been able to keep tuition down as well as maximize educational opportunities. In addition, private colleges like NYU have been making strides like making medical school free, in order to meet the shortage of doctors. While these efforts help alleviate the problem, this unmet need for quality education is definitely very prevalent throughout the country. So an opportunity to provide quality education at a reasonable price for college and post-grad, in places that don’t have public funding could be crucial for millions of students.

3)      Nidhi Kavi (Medical Student at Mount Sinai in New York)

4)      What is the exact nature of the need?

The need to provide a more cost-effective education for undergrad and post-grad is necessary. Although I went to Stony Brook a SUNY University, I still had to take out loans because I had no financial backing from my family. As a first generation college student who did well in HS I received some grants and loans, but it was nowhere near the amount I needed for school, or living in Long Island. It certainly wasn’t enough for medical school. I was so proud of the day I got accepted into Mt. Sinai, but the cost of attendance and living in New York City has put a tremendous financial burden on me, one that I believe I will be paying for years.

When did you become aware of the need?

I think when I was eating boxed macaroni 4-5 times and week and having no money for gas, was when I realized there was a real problem with the education system. There is such a shortage of physicians and I believe the primary reason why is how much money it takes to become one.

How are you currently addressing the need?

I hope when I finally become a doctor to sell old books, and even offer training at a much more affordable price then what is going on now. In terms of my own situation, I work as a tutor on the side to help pay off my loans and am focusing on my end goal. A lot of my loans won’t kick in until I am out of medical school, so I will have time to pay them off. Even though it will take me years, I have already worked so hard, I definitely want to continue to study and become a doctor.

Are you satisfied with this solution?

I think more people need to start offering post-grad training for a reuced price compared to bigger institutions. This training needs to consist of both academic and hands-on opportunities in order to motivate students to actually be able to pursue their dreams.

5)      After interviewing someone who was aware of this unmet need and wished she had had an opportunity to complete her studies in a more cost-effective manner, I definitely felt as though this was a valiant cause. To open affordable technical and educational training for a range of different professions across the country, publically funded and prioritized over private institutions by investors and the government could provide a breakthrough in education. After interviewing Nidhi, I was surprised to hear about her alternative approach to education. While she appreciated the well-rounded education she received, she wished that she could’ve gone from high school straight to learning about and focusing on what she wanted to do in the future. Although taking alternative classes in college had an intended purpose, they also had repercussions such as a lot of extra money and time. So maybe the answer is to open more 2 year programs focusing on a particular discipline, so that an individual can learn what they need to for their field right out of HS and not spend what they would for a full 4 years of college.

6) Aditya Dave (Junior at Carnegie Mellon)

     What is the exact nature of the need?

I believe we need more affordable education, especially for STEM majors who are most likely going to have to pursue further training after college. Although, my parents are helping me out with fees, a lot of my friends have loans that are only going to keep racking up once they go to grad school.

When did you become aware of the need?

Initially when I began applying to colleges in high school, I was shocked to find out that the average for many top universities was at least $70,000 per year. I knew a lot of my friends who had the same, or even better, scores but opted for SUNY colleges because they just couldn’t afford private education. Although I do get why there is such a large discrepancy between private and public schools, $70,000 per year is insane and something definitely needs to be done to lower the cost of education.

How are you currently addressing this need?

As a student right now I can’t do much in terms of changing the system, but I’ll definitely be more inclined to vote for politicians and public figures that support the initiative of a more affordable education for all.

How satisfied are you with this solution?

I know change is going to take some time, but I we have to keep trying. As I said, my parents are helping me out for undergrad, but I know I’m going to be in the same hole as my friends when I go to grad school for a masters.

Reflection:

After talking with someone who currently attends a private college, I am appreciative of the public education I’m receiving at UF. I’m getting a great education, while paying 1/5^th of his tuition. Despite this, there are many people across the country that don’t have access to or don’t qualify to attend these public institutions. There are only a few states that have top public universities, and to get in-state tuition an individual must be from that state. In addition, schools like UNC-Chapel Hill grant nearly 80% of their seats to an incoming freshman class from NC. So, while I do believe that there are systems in place for a high quality and affordable education, there needs to be more and they need to be made more accessible. When speaking with Aditya, I was surprised to hear just how much his parents needed to help him. He even said with a full time job, he couldn’t even cover his cost-of-living. After both my interviews, I realized that this is a serious issue that could be a big opportunity for investors in the future.

6)      Ishani Dave (Senior at Irvington High School, New York)

What is the exact nature of the need?

I really think providing more affordable education is key for the progress of the country. Many kids like me are going to college, and hope to become professionals in a field, but don’t believe they’ll ever get there because the price is so steep. I want to be a dentist like my mom; however, in my area, unless I attend a SUNY school for undergrad and post-grad, every other option will cost me close to $80,000 per year. I have applied for scholarships, but I doubt they will be substantial enough to let me attend a private college. Although private school is not significant for undergrad, going to Cornell for dental school, rather than SUNY Oswego definitely makes a difference in terms of opportunities and pay after graduation.

When did you become aware of this need?

I became aware of this need when filling out my applications for college. As I started going through my list, I began to realize that a lot of the schools I wanted to attend were just impossible to pay for. For instance, if I was to go to NYU, which has one of the best dental schools in the country, after 8 years I would end up paying over $600,000.

How are you currently addressing this need?

I think it would be wiser for me and my family, if I attended a SUNY college for undergrad and looked for private or good public schools for dental school. In this way, at least I would save some money in undergrad and then only have to take on serious loans for dental school.

How satisfied are you with this solution?

I’m happy with wherever I end up for college, but definitely wished there were more opportunities to attend a good undergrad school besides shelling out thousands of dollars. Even when a lot of people begin working, their first few years are solely consumed to paying off student loans and sustaining themselves. There definitely needs to be a change in the system.

Reflection:

Following my interview, with someone currently applying to college, I completely understand her concerns because I thought the same thing a couple years ago. When you work so hard in high school and a lot of your friends start attending ivy-league and other private schools in the northeast, you think this is where you should go as well. Being from New York, a lot of good public schools are far from home and even if you choose to attend good public colleges like UF, you would be considered out-of-state and have to pay nearly as much as a private education. After talking with Ishani I was surprised to hear the amount she would have to pay if she went to NYU for undergrad and dental school. It only reconfirmed my belief that an opportunity exists for a more affordable education system.

7)  My opportunity belief definitely changed between the outset and after my customer interactions. Initially, I thought creating more publically funded, high-quality, education systems that were accessible to the majority was the way to go moving forward. However, upon reflection creating this amount of change could take decades and lobbying from politicians and investors. Not only would there be no guarantee that this could be accomplished, but it was cause the problem at hand-(astronomical prices for college and post-grad education)-to remain for years to come. An alternative approach to this issue could be to create 2 year vocational schools, like other countries. A lot of college is taking general education requirements and other classes that may not having anything to do with what you want to do going forward. Establishing schools that will train you for grad school in a 2 year format, by solely focusing on your interests will mean less time and money spent. This may make education more affordable for the majority of people and opening this line of vocational training could be a great opportunity for any investor. Although, this too would take some time, I feel as though it is a more achievable goal then opening more public institutions across the country. After evaluation, I do think my new opportunity is more accurate then when I started. I believe that entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback if it makes socio-economic sense. If the general consensus is an adapted view of what you pitched, you should definitely modify your product. This is because the customers are who are going to endorse it and purchase your product in the future, so listening to their opinions is crucial. A tradeoff does exist between staying firm and adapting your views, but you must identify which option will make more socio-economic sense in the long run.

Entrepreneurship Story

Early in life I became exposed to entrepreneurship by my Uncle. He was a computer engineer at Cerebral Palsy-New York State Health Department. His job required technical skill for the IT department there, as well as being able to interact and effectively communicate with patients and aid workers. He began to integrate his knowledge of computers with medicine and created new medical devices for anesthesiologists. These devices enabled anesthesiologists to monitor their patient’s vitals in a clearer and more efficient manner, while also keeping track of other things like the patients history. This allowed physicians to access a multitude of information about their patients all on a quick and efficient system, rather than having to reference a number of sources.

My uncle was able to successfully sell these medical devices to companies and hospitals around the country, and recently expanded his business to India. He has an online presence as well, making these device accessible to people all around the world. He was able to quit his job and build his own business to help millions of people around the world. His hard-work and passion for the project really inspired me to get into entrepreneurship. Being able to one day help people in something they are lacking, or provide a service to the under-served is something that really motivated me to take this class. Although I have ideas for new innovations and ways to help people, learning about the ways in which this can be done and applying a holistic approach to a problem to considering potential solutions from different angles is something I can definitely learn from this class. I also feel like this class will expose me to cool new ideas and methodologies I’ve never heard of before that could potentially help me out in the future!

Bug List + Reflection

Assignment 2A: Bug List

1)      When someone pulls the cord on the RTS bus but don’t actually have to get off. This slows everyone down because no one is getting off and everyone gets late for their class or wherever they have to go.

Why? Someone probably pulls the cord on accident, even if they don’t have to get off, because they made a mistake and don’t know the correct route, or just misjudged where their next stop is. In order to correct this issue, a clearer and more accessible electronic map route should be placed in more places throughout the bus.

2)      If my roommates or people throughout my apartment complex leave the lights, or other electronic appliances on when they aren’t even home.

Why? People might forget to turn off all the lights or appliances before they leave because they are in a rush and have many other things going on at the same time. While this complacency wastes a lot of energy, wide-spread utilization of self-regulating lights and appliances that shut off automatically after a period of no use or detected motion, could help save energy.

3)      People placing their gum under chairs or a desk, instead of throwing it away. This creates a job for anyone that has to clean it up, or has the misfortune of accidently coming into contact with it.

Why? This bug may exist because people don’t want to get up and go all the way to the trash to throw their gum away, and they think no one will notice. A potential solution to this, is to have trash chutes and cans in more places than besides the end of the hall or road.

4)      When people are loudly talking on their phone in the library, it disrupts the environment and people around them often lose their focus.

Why? People may engage in such behavior because they see other people talking and believe it’s okay for them to do the same in a much higher volume, even if they aren’t talking about anything academic. They may have got a call that was urgent and didn’t have the chance to step outside.

5)      When required textbooks can only be bought as a physical copy in the bookstore and are very expensive. I understand certain professors do this to capitalize on their work and support the institution, but many college students don’t have $300 to purchase a book, they may or may not, really use for 3 months.

Why? Professors may encourage students to do this because their book is the central focus of the class and they have worked very hard to collect the data and information in it. They also could be alumni of UF or have deals in place with the University to not allow 3^rd party vendors to sell their material.

6)      Lines at the gas station or supermarket before a hurricane or snow-storm. Everyone wants to be safe, rather than sorry, but the amount of things some people buy could last them close to a year.

Why? People may find the thought of no electricity, water or food for a time period so daunting that they feel they have to protect their family and go above and beyond what’s required for the worst possible outcome.

7)      The fast-pass system at Disney. The lines at Disney, especially during peak season are insane, and the only way to skip them is to purchase a fast-pass. Often just coming to Disney for out-of-state families is so expensive, to spend additional hundreds on fast-passes for each ride may be impossible.

Why? The popularity and up-keep of Disney may contribute to the high prices for fast-passes. A system that makes these passes affordable for every-day families and can last for more than just a couple rides could prevent the 4hr lines, complaints and people passing out.

8)      The people that work the gates for the rides at Disney. These people are told to let a higher percentage of people from the fast-pass line in than the regular line. While this ratio is usually something like 20:10, some people take it to the extreme and keep it 50:5. This creates an insane line that wraps as far as the eye can see.

Why? These workers may have been told to do this in order to encourage more people to buy the fast-pass, or they could be doing this because they have misinterpreted the actual ratio supposed to be in place.

9)      When the airplane lands and everyone immediately gets up, but can’t actually go anywhere for like 20 minutes and just end up congesting the aisle.

Why? People may be in a rush or have a close connection, and they think standing up will show people their urgency and enable them to get off the plane quicker.

10)   In an airport, when people stand and line up even when their section number is not called.

Why? People may be in a hurry to get on the plane and find a spot to put their bag in the overhead.

11)  If you order food and the delivery person gets your order wrong, but then you are unable to reach them in order to solve the problem.

Why? The restaurant or place you ordered from could be out of what you ordered, or your delivery man could’ve misread what you wrote. He also may be under company policy to not give his number out, so you can’t contact him, but have to reach out to the company directly.

12)  When your uber driver leaves after 2 seconds of not finding you, cancels the ride and you end up with a charge on your card.

Why? There may have been miscommunication between the time that the uber driver was actually waiting and when you received the notification he was here. The uber driver may also have been in a hurry to accept more rides if it was a busy night.

13)   People that honk at you the second after the traffic light has turned green.

Why? People may be in a rush to get somewhere, and think of the 1-second delay as an inconvenience. They also may be having a rough day and consider having to wait a little extra as further irritation.

14)   If people spit while they talk and you are caught off-guard.

Why? People may be eating as they are talking, causing spit to accidently fly out of their mouth. Some people also have overactive saliva glands and can’t control spit escaping from their mouth.

15)  When stores don’t have the option to email you a receipt of your transaction. Often times we want a receipt to keep record of what we’ve purchased, but don’t want to lose the receipt, or hurt the environment, with a printed receipt.

Why? Emailing receipts of purchase is a relatively new concept and still has to make its way to more remote areas of the country.

16)  Movies that are way too loud in the theater. I understand going to the movies is a fun and often thrilling event, but making it so loud that you can’t hear anything for hours after you leave is excessive.

Why? Movies are an experience and they want you to be absorbed in it and forget the world around you.

17)   People at concerts that try to record the whole event on snapchat or their phone, rather than actually experiencing the moment.

Why? They want to show everyone how much fun they’re having, or document this experience for personal reference in the future.

18)  When malls, arenas or stadiums turn off elevators or escalators so people have to jam onto the stairs. This situation also makes it harder for the handicapped to get around.

Why? Maybe the elevator or escalator genuinely malfunctioned and no one has been able to come into repair it yet, or maybe the venue is trying to save money and reduce the cost of operation.

19)  When you’re not allowed to bring water or snacks into a stadium and have to pay exorbitant prices for the same goods inside

Why? The venue may be trying to capitalize on your purchase of ticket, by also making a profit on people paying for goods at a much higher price than outside.

20)  People talking during a show or movie, or using their phone.

Why? Maybe there is something very important they have to discuss that can’t wait until after the show, or maybe they don’t realize their being loud and are “just whispering.”

Reflection:

This assignment was very though provoking and interesting. It really made me think about things that got to me on a day-to-day basis. It also challenged me to look beyond myself and ask why these occurrences happened in the first place. Often times, we criticize and can identify why things annoy us, but don’t try to understand why these disturbances are actually created. This assignment further challenged me because it made me really think about things that we let go in life and don’t really consider “a bug.” Many times we wait in long lines or have to walk a bunch of stairs, but don’t think of it as an inconvenience, but rather as something to be expected. However, after reflection these events can often be troublesome and new alternatives can be adopted to simplify and make situations more efficient.

Intro Test

Hi!