Tidal Gardens wins business plan competition
A fledgling business that I helped start a few years ago, Tidal Gardens, has just got a funding shot in the arm. Than Thein, the owner and a friend of mine from my previous job, won $30,000 in a business plan competion, capturing the grand prize in the Start Up category.
This is from the competition's press release:
Tidal Gardens, Than Thein, president -- The Akron-based company specializes in the propagation of live coral for saltwater aquarium enthusiasts. Company founders have a deep appreciation for the natural reefs, and through their work encourage a self-sustaining hobby that no longer requires the collection of corals from the ocean.
My part of the business was setting up and programming the website. My current job has lead to me being far too busy to be a productive part of the team, so I finished up his online storefront and handed it over to him. The current version can be found at tidalgardens.com. As of this writing, the store portion of the site has not launched yet, but it will most likely be open before year's end.
According to Cleveland's Plain Dealer, Than will "use the prize money to revamp his Web site and add to his inventory of coral." It will be exciting to see his site finally launch after a few years of stop-and-go preparation. It will also be interesting to see what direction the website heads in when it's in someone else's hands.
Congrats and good luck, Than!