2018 Lavin Seed Fund Award Winner: Jessica Kent
The Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship proudly awards grants to Lavin Entrepreneurship Program students to help bolster their startup journey as they balance both school and work. The annual Seed Fund is unique to the highly competitive program at the University of Washington. Students compete and pitch their existing or early-stage ventures to a select group from the Seattle entrepreneurial community in early March. Each of the 2018 Lavin Seed Fund award winners shared an update on their startup journey with us. Here’s Jessica Kent of GolfScope.
The mission of GolfScope is to bring accessibility and fun to the game of golf for all ages. Whether it’s merely keeping your eye on the ball or ensuring proper alignment to minimize injury, golf should be an activity that can be enjoyed by all.
While playing competitive golf throughout middle and high school, I had some ups and downd. The main problem I faced with my golf swing was straightening my spine angle at impact which resulted in inconsistent ball striking. The solution was a makeshift training aid device that provided me with a visual cue when my spine angle was not maintained. After seeing the huge improvement in my golf scores, I thought other golfers could benefit from it too. Through interviews with PGA Professionals, as well as competitive and casual golfers of all ages, we further refined the idea. We also believed we could fulfill the desire for a smaller, more discrete, and less invasive training aid. What developed was GolfScope.
GolfScope is a transportable and easy-to-use golf training aid designed to support golfers, no matter their skill level. Unlike other golf training aids that physically connect to the body, GolfScope is a less invasive visual guide that immediately corrects golfers’ head and spine alignment. Correct positioning reduces the risk of injury while allowing golfers to hit the ball farther and straighter. What used to take months of practice can be corrected in a few sessions.
Towards the end of winter quarter, GolfScope won the seed fund from the Lavin Entrepreneurship Program’s Seed Fund Pitch Competition.
Our team GolfScope then competed in the Investment Round (Top 36) at the University of Washington’s Business Plan Competition. We were honored to be one of the few all undergraduate teams. With over 250 judges our motto was: Be BOLD, Be PROUD, and Be PASSIONATE. Representing Team GolfScope in neon green shirts at the Business Plan Competition, you could not miss us and our mission to spread the game of golf.
Currently, we are working on designing a second prototype of GolfScope based on customer feedback. We will also launch a series of golf instructional videos featuring golf professionals in our community to empower golfers to further improve their game.
I want to thank the Buerk Center, Foster School of Business, Lavin Entrepreneurship Program, and my mentors and teammates Katie Chun, Stephanie Lim, Nathan Lee, and Ross Todrzak—GolfScope stems from the passion, support, and mentorship of all of you.
