Josh Young and Julie Lincoln
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- A Tri-State duo may have found the secret to getting your kids to eat their veggies.
Northern Kentucky University graduate Josh Young and Julie Lincoln developed Vegy Vida, an all-natural dip made for kids that got named as one of the country's top 40 "Best University Startups 2017" at a conference hosted by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer in April.
"Kids have three times the taste buds so why that is critical is because they perceive bitterness much more than adults do," Young said.
The vegetable dip is available at Walmart, Remke and other national chains.
RELATED: New Cincy company says it's found a tasty way to get kids to eat their veggies
The University Startups Demo Day and Conference where Young got recognized provides universities and their startups access and opportunities to discover, network and explore meaningful partnerships with corporate open innovation and venturing groups, VCs, and angel investors.
Young previously took Vegy Vida through NKU's INKUBATOR startup program, which offers mentorship, guidance, access to capital, connections, resources and a flexible office space to support the startups.
Rodney D’Souza, executive director and founder of INKUBATOR, remembers Young stood out as someone who not only identified a huge problem but also had the knowledge, expertise and skills to move forward with a solution.
“That’s what we look for in the program. We don’t focus as much on the idea as the individual and his/her team. Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Implementation and execution are what makes the difference,” D’Souza said in a news release. “Several startups fail because they don’t have a well-vetted business model. Through the program, Josh and his team were forced to validate their business idea before investing any money.”
INKUBATOR just launched its 2017 class, selecting seven teams out of over 50 applicants. For more on the INKUBATOR, please click here.
