Local Venture Firm Names Finalists in Architecture Business Plan Competition
Five firms will compete for $15,000 business plan competition prize
DES MOINES – May 2, 2016: Charrette Venture Group has named five finalists in its annual Architecture Business Plan Competition. Architects from across the United States and Canada were invited to register for the free competition and submit an explainer video and executive summary of their business plan concept. For the third year running, Charrette Venture Group has organized the competition that is unique to the profession of architecture.
According to Matt Ostanik, Founder of Charrette Venture Group and organizer of the Architecture Business Plan Competition: “In the technology world, there is an overwhelming supply of resources to help new and growing companies. There are constant business plan competitions, pitch sessions, incubator programs, mentor circles, research, etc. etc. However, in the design space there is very little to aid for these entrepreneurs. The ultimate goal of Charrette Venture Group is to serve as an investment firm that helps growing design firms.” The five finalists named in this year’s competition are (in alphabetical order):
ADD+Venture of Houston, Texas
ARCH.406 of Billings, Montana
BuildIngenuity of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Clever Moderns of Los Angeles, California
Love | Schack Architecture of Bozeman, Montana and Jackson, Wyoming
Final presentations and judging will take place in Philadelphia, May 18th and 19th in conjunction with the National Convention of the American Institute of Architects.
About ADD+Venture: ADD+Venture is the Houston, Texas-base non-profit, architect-as-developer practice that Courtney Brinegar, AIA is developing to provide creative services focused on sustainable and socially-responsible development in Houston’s urban, food desert environments.
ADD+Venture will serve the market where underserved communities are in need of development. Areas that for-profit entities avoid for lack of immediate financial benefit and the need to fulfill profit generating formulas. ADD+Venture’s mission is to purchase existing properties with to create developments that unify neighborhoods, celebrate local talents and businesses, and bring needed resources to turn dilapidated areas into thriving communities without gentrification.
About ARCH406: ARCH406 is a Billings, Montana-based Architect-led Design-Build firm that creates built work reflecting the founders’ passion for design and craftsmanship. ARCH406 develops projects that enrich their community by controlling the process by which they are developed, designed, and built.
About Building Ingenuity: Building Ingenuity is the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based brainchild of Victor Caban-Diaz, AIA. Buildingenuity will be an architect-centric “Invest-Build-Own” company that will leverage the power of social media, crowdfunding, education, and franchising to offer services worldwide.
The focal point of Buildingenuity will be the ability to offer a greater ROI by executing cutting-edge building projects for less through the ingenuity of Master Builders, who leverage technology, research, and mass production. Buildingenuity will set the stage for a new way of doing business in architecture by establishing a hybrid income generation structure where architects earn from service fees and passive revenue from real estate assets.
Buildingenuity will be recognized as a franchise opportunity for architects to fulfill their design passions, build passive wealth, and live a better lifestyle.
About Clever Moderns: Clever Moderns is a Los Angeles-based online platform where DIY owner-builders can download plans and get project support for building their own houses. Los Angeles-based Architect, Earl Parson created the Clever Moderns platform to operate on a freemium business model.
The designs are created by a network of certified affiliate architects for whom the platform will be a source of passive income. Clever Moderns’ goal is to grow to become a global lifestyle brand.
About Love | Schack Architecture: Love | Schack Architecture (LS:A) is a growing architectural firm that operates remotely through sister offices in Driggs, Idaho and Manhattan, Montana, serving the northern Rocky Mountain Region. As regional design experts and local design advocates, LS:A has the capacity to improve and inspire their local building community. LS:A is recognized as regional experts in high-performance design with certification in Passive House methodology as well as experience with natural products such as straw bale, straw clay, earthen construction, and natural plasters.
About Architecture Business Plan Competition: The Architecture Business Plan Competition is an annual event organized by Charrette Venture Group that recognizes entrepreneurial architects that have developed a thoughtful plan for fulfilling their dreams. The competition is open to registered Architects in the United States and Canada who are considering starting a design firm, or who have started a firm in the past ten years. In 2016, the winners of the 3rd annual event will receive more than $15,000 in cash and prizes. Final presentations and judging for the 2016 Architecture Business Plan Competition will take place May 18th and 19th in Philadelphia.
About Charrette Venture Group: Charrette Venture Group is a global venture firm based in Des Moines, Iowa, whose ultimate goal is to serve as an investment firm that helps growing design firms. Investments can be in the form of capital, or they can be technology, mentoring and business advice, marketing and business development support, or other expertise and resources. They seek to be a long-term partner who takes a stake in both the risk and the reward of the firm’s success. Charrette Venture Group seeks to positively impact the way new and growing design firms operate throughout the world.