A collaborative exercise in entrepreneurship which took place at Startup Weekend Copenhagen Health in November, 2013. On the first night of the conference, I pitched my idea of a health-conscious office furniture line based on my research in The Posture Predicament. The idea won me a team of six willing individuals, who worked with me all weekend to develop the idea into a marketable product.
By Melanie Povlitzki (project leader), Christian Garrelts, Bilge Jacob, Christiansen, Ed Gar, Magdalena Rós Guðnadóttir, Reinis Anderson & Ali Abawi
November 2013
Pitching my idea on night one of Startup Weekend Copenhagen Health.
After placing among the top 8 pitches, I had to convince other participants to join my team.
After forming our team, we spent the next morning dissecting the problem and brainstorming together.
Project goal: To design a laptop desk that allows a full range of body postures – from floor seating to standing.
Preliminary sketches
Working prototype made with foam core, duct tape and a deconstructed Joby© GorillaPod.
Design Solution: The design mimics that of the human spine. An advanced “flex & lock” system enables greater flexibility and range of motion (from floor seating to standing) while working with a laptop. The “spine” is intentionally left exposed to reflect the purpose of using such a desk.
Technical drawings
At the end of the weekend, I presented our design and business plan in front of a panel of experts and investors to receive feedback and advice. Later on, the idea was entered in the Venture Cup Idea Competition. Since then, I’ve posted the project on the “Wall of Opportunities” at the DTU Skylab, and met with various mechanical engineering students to receive specialized advice and assistance for solving the project’s main obstacle: structural design and engineering.
As the team leader, I pitched our ideas to the audience during the final pitch competition.
