May 2011-University of Maine Farmington Alumni & Development

Reeves, the company’s chief operations officer, said he and Whitney, the chief marketing and development officer, came up with the idea for the company’s flagship product, the Bitzy Bumper™, shortly after their son began rolling in his crib. “The crib bumpers on the market all created their own problems,” he said. “We knew that there could be a better solution, and we were compelled to invent it.” As part of the competition, nearly 20 teams developed their original ideas into business plans to vie for up to $10,000 in cash, $15,000 in consulting services and the chance to use the Maine Center for Business and Enterprise Development’s “incubator” as personal office space.

Learn more about the couple’s venture at bitzybaby.com and see the full story on their prize-winning company on the USM website.