Evelyn Scollick, a senior studying Mechanical Engineering, and a Barrett honors student, did not have any real expectations when she signed up for FSE 301: Entrepreneurship for Engineers in her final semester here at Arizona State University. “I was looking for some technical electives that were interesting to me, and some friends of mine recommended the class,” she revealed, “I decided to give it a shot.”
Since starting the class, though, Evelyn has found herself holding the reigns of her own start-up, The Grocery Pack, and with priceless information regarding entrepreneurship and running a business. “FSE 301 guides you through the entire process of creating your own business from finding a problem that you’re passionate about to find the correct business model for your product or service. It’s pretty amazing how much we learn in only one semester,” Evelyn stated.
The Grocery Pack is a product that is designed to make the process of carrying groceries easier, especially for those who live in apartment buildings and have to carry their bags up through apartment parking and up to several stories. The all-in-one backpack and cart design eases the pain felt on hands and arms when carrying groceries and instead lets you choose between carrying it on your back or pulling them behind you. Not only this, but The Grocery Pack also comes with separate compartments for fragile items such as eggs and bread, ensuring that all the worry and pain of grocery shopping is a thing of the past.
Asad Jamal, a senior in computer science, lives on the seventh floor of his apartment building, 922. He was among the first people that Evelyn interviewed for Entrepreneurship for Engineers, and when asked about his experience carrying groceries, Asad lamented, “The act of carrying groceries is similar to tying a rope around your fingers until the blood stops flowing and they become numb. It’s horrible.”
Evelyn worked with Asad to create a product that he would be happy to use himself and hopes that other apartment dwellers around the world will be excited to use the product as well. “I didn’t join this class expecting to be an entrepreneur, and even now I’m not sure what to expect from the future. What I do know is that the insight that I have gained from this class is truly above and beyond. I recommend everyone, business and engineering students and beyond, to take this class, just as my friends recommended this class to me.”
Click here to watch Evelyn’s pitch for The Grocery Pack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Futd-wx6Eo4