Having a university nearby as a resource was key to that move. Olson has become an active participant in CMU happenings with showcase judge being the latest.
“I needed an airport and a university to make the move work,” Olson said. “CMU has been a great resource. I have employees from CMU.”
Olson and his fellow judge, Jennifer Brownell of Land Title Guarantee, were one of dozens of judging teams at the 2019 Showcase, which had the entire campus buzzing with idea displays and demonstrations from over 500 students. Students, from arts to engineering programs and every discipline in between, displayed and explained projects related to topics as varied as vineyard attributes, stock market investments, hemp production, golf injuries and antibiotic use.
Olson and Brownell had the task of picking one winner from their group of students.
Their number one was Joshua Levy who had already found a problem — shin splits in athletes’ legs. He formulated a solution in a small metal bar that helps heal the tears, produced the product he calls “Shin-Bar,” enlisted the aid of professional athletes in setting up a related foundation and predicted his product’s quick rise in Amazon’s rankings.
Olson liked Levy’s passion and his methodical march towards making his product a success.
Olson also liked that judging this showcase reminded him of what he might have presented at the event if the tables were turned.
“There are so many things I’ve been interested in doing,” he said. “Seeing all these students with their ideas is a good reminder of all my interests over the years.”
He wrapped up his judging duties by mulling over a feasible new idea: a digital product that would analyze data to determine why people make the choices they do. •
