MANSFIELD – Ian Dzugan hasn’t graduated high school yet, but he’s already started his own business.
The Colonel Crawford junior and NCSC College Now student pitched Design Pull, a business selling magnetic tile backsplashes earlier this month at the 10th annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) Saunders Scholars national semifinal competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
“We hope to erase the days of doing dishes and thinking, ‘Man, my backsplash is ugly,’” Dzugan said in his presentation.
While Design Pull wasn’t named one of the top eight businesses at the competition, Dzugan believes he benefited from the experience.
“I figured out more that people do like the product, they do want it, so that’s exciting,” Dzugan said. “I’m a lot more confident in the product and speaking about it.”
YEA program coordinator Nikki Lewis saw dozens of people talking with Dzugan after his presentation.
“I look over, and he’s surrounded by a bunch of people. They are taking pictures, they are asking when and where they can get Design Pull. People were asking for his business cards,” she said.
She explained that Dzugan pitched among the most competitive groups of the day. The two businesses that moved on from the section went on to take first and third place.
After helping his parents, Gretchen and Joe Dzugan, flip houses for years, the 16-year-old Dzugan developed a plan to sell magnetic backsplash tiles, which could help his family and other homeowners.
Through YEA, Dzugan honed his public speaking skills, created a business plan and improved the idea. The magnetic backsplash tiles are meant to make customization easy and can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
“Here soon, we are meeting with a chemical engineer to talk about the magnetic design. Then, we are looking towards finding a manufacturer and talking to retailers to see if they’re interested,” Dzugan said.
He hopes to begin selling Design Pull in early 2019, which is possible thanks to a panel of local investors.
In April at the YEA’s third annual investor panel, Dzugan asked for $617, but he received $1,065.
The teen was shocked.
"I was not expecting that at all, but it's definitely nice to hear,” he said at the time.
Other YEA students received a share of $4,250 from the investor panel.
Richland Young Entrepreneurs Academy Class of 2018.
Submitted Photo.Students include Alex Newberry, Michael Marhefka, Ethan Byrom, Brody Brubaker, Samantha Avery and Maya, Avery and Kennedy Hatfield. They will graduate from the program next Tuesday, May 15.
The next program will begin in September. Applications are now being accepted. Interested participants can reach Lewis at the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 419-522-3211 or emailing nlewis@richlandareachamber.com.
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