Swimwear idea wows panel

Churubusco woman outdoes dozen rivals in Ivy Tech contest

Paul Wyche The Journal Gazette

FORT WAYNE — A diner, water-repellent swimwear or specialized shoes.

Those were the business ideas a panel from Ivy Tech-Northeast had to pick from Tuesday during the school’s New Venture Competition held at the St. Joe Road campus before an audience of about 50.

Olivia Fabian, Brad Haines and Krystle McBride were the last ones standing from a field of about a dozen students vying for up to $28,700 – and Fabian won the competition. JB Tool, Die & Engineering Inc. of Fort Wayne donated $17,000, and the Northeast Innovation Center will kick in $11,700 worth of services and cash because the business has a high-tech nature.

In February, officials hoped to raise up to $50,000 but fell short. Even so, winner Fabian is grateful her business is closer to opening its doors. OFabz Swimwear qualified to receive the full award.

“I really worked hard,” said the 23-year-old Churubusco resident, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Indiana Tech. “Now I want to work even harder.”

Fabian’s business proposition targets women on the go by offering quick-drying swimwear to be worn with a skirt or similar apparel. She has an associate’s degree in business administration from Ivy Tech and some experience, having owned and operated a figure-skating apparel company with her mother.

As for her swimwear, Fabian said it will be made from “moisture-wicking material that dries quickly.” Business professor James Tolbert is founder of the contest and was impressed with Fabian’s entry.

“(Women) could get out of the pool and go to the grocery store” or for a night out on the town, he said.

Tolbert wanted the young entrepreneurs to focus more on making jobs than getting one.

He said all the projects were creative. Ivy Tech business student Haines discovered a shuttered bar and grill in LaOtto “and did quite a bit of marketing and feels the area is underserved,” Tolbert said. Haines wants to open a stainless steel diner featuring deep-fried food.

McBride, who also has an associate’s degree in business administration from the community college, hopes to help those with foot problems by providing custom shoes. And unlike most self-serve retail stores, McBride intends to have a skilled staff and a podiatrist on call.

“They all did a great job,” Tolbert said.

pwyche@jg.net