Entrepreneur takes prize in Spin66 Pitch Pit at eFactory

Springfield’s first Spin66 innovation summit yesterday ended with a bang for one entrepreneur.

Kerri Miller was among four people pitching their startup ideas to more than 150 attendees and a panel of experts, and after the text-message votes were tallied her Make People Better LLC was the audience favorite. The mock investment pitches and voting concluded a half-day of sessions and conversations centered on entrepreneurship and innovation at The eFactory downtown business incubator.

For her presentation in the Pitch Pit, Miller wins a crowdfunding campaign donated by CrowdIt.com and a $50 Swagbot gift certificate.

A nurse practitioner with 25 years of experience, Miller has developed a product called re:iimmune that offers clinical strength hydration and immune system support. The powder formula acts as an IV to deliver pre- and pro-biotics.

“Now, I have to be a businessperson. That’s a new role for me,” said Miller, who left her nurse practitioner job at Mercy a year ago.

Also making mock pitches were Wondr, a social app for shopping; Alumni Spaces, a Web management tool for alumni associations; and Falling Feathers Game Calls LLC, a manufacturer of duck calls. The summit was organized by Mercy Research and Development, The eFactory and Create Springfield.

Miller, who has a doctorate in nursing practice from Johns Hopkins University, started her pitch with a video telling the product’s purpose using hand drawings on a white board. Her research work, with help from Mercy R&D, goes back some 18 months. She has a patent pending on the product, which she identifies as a competitor to Pedialyte.

Make People Better, which Miller organized in January 2013, is seeking $500,000 to launch re:iimmune and cover marketing and distribution. Miller said she’s also looking for a business partner.