The FlowCellution team (pictured from left to right): Maya Bhat, Becca Segel, and Priscilla Prem. Photo courtesy of Becca Segel
After our 2022 Randall Family Big Idea Competition Virtual Awards Ceremony, we at the Big Idea Center caught up with the grand prize winning team, FlowCellution, to discuss how three PhD chemical engineering candidates became entrepreneurs and what their next steps are for their mission to provide the testing capabilities necessary to create next-generation flow batteries. Their idea, the comprehensive FlowCell testing system, offers an accelerated framework for scientists to quickly identify optimal flow battery compositions.
What was the inspiration behind your team’s idea?
We came up with this idea through our PhD research and benefited from our advisors’ expertise in the Chemical Engineering Department. As flow battery researchers, we have first-hand experience with the problems involved in laboratory materials discovery, and we investigated the bottlenecks flow battery manufacturing companies are facing in developing full scale batteries. Mitigating climate change is always the main inspiration for our work, and we believe our idea can significantly decrease carbon emissions through grid-scale batteries!
What value did you get out of participating in the Randall Family Big Idea Competition (RFBIC)? What are your key learnings from the experience?
The greatest value we gained from the Randall Family Big Idea Competition was mentorship from the judges, competition mentor, and the entrepreneurs in residence (EIRs) at the Big Idea Center. The feedback we received helped us focus our pitch onto just one product and refine our business strategy. We learned that no idea is too big as long as it is well supported!
What thoughts/feelings did you have during the awards ceremony?
We invited our friends and colleagues to a viewing party in Benedum Hall and watched the awards ceremony on the projector. It was a lot of fun watching all of the winners’ elevator pitches and learning about their ideas. When we were announced as the first place winner, we celebrated with a high-five victory lap and donuts. We were so excited to see how much support we have in our fight against climate change through our big idea!
What are the next steps for your team and how will the winnings be applied?
The next steps for us are completing our patent application, finding mentorship in business and electrical engineering, prototyping, and incorporating! We will use the winnings to travel to flow battery companies and universities to set up our alpha product so that they can test it out and give us feedback. We will also use the winnings to travel to product expos at research conferences to market our product.
What advice do you have for students thinking about getting involved with the RFBIC or innovation/entrepreneurship in general?
Becca: Find a team and jump right in with a pitch competition focusing on something you are passionate about! The best team has people who both support and critique you and your ideas.
Priscilla: It’s okay if the first iteration of your idea isn’t perfect. Through the Randall Family Big Idea Competition, you will have the opportunity to refine your idea and learn how to pitch your idea with the help of the mentors and EIRs at the Big Idea Center. If you have an idea, give it a shot!
Maya: My advice would be to find an opportunity to develop a company and go for it. This could be through a class, pitch competition, or entrepreneurial community at school. This first attempt does not have to be with an idea you love nor does it have to be a long term commitment. Getting a glimpse into entrepreneurship with hands-on experience is invaluable.
Congratulations to the FlowCellution team on winning the $25,000 grand prize at the 2022 Randall Family Big Idea Competition! We look forward to what's in store for them and their big idea. View the rest of this year's RFBIC winning teams.