This thesis compiles my work in the Entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona. Along with three other team members, this business plan was created for a potential venture concept. 69% of Americans in the U.S. today are considered overweight or clinically obese. Being overweight can cause preventable illnesses including diabetes, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. Americans obesity challenges cost employers over $1.3 trillion annually due to rising health insurance premiums, productivity loss, and absenteeism. Through conducting secondary and primary research, in‐depth interviews with industry experts and business owners, Wellspark Health was created by four students in the Eller Entrepreneurship Program to help businesses combat the financial costs of obesity and empower individuals to live healthier lives. Unlike traditional worksite wellness programs, Wellspark combines best practices from the industry with customizable solutions for both employers and their employees. The program consists of both online and onsite tools and support from health coaches and registered dieticians. Wellspark will initially target businesses with between 50‐250 employees because this demographic is not being served by current wellness programs.

HermitCrab Housing is a website that allows international students to find housing and roommates at U.S. colleges based on preferences such as language, country, and compatibility. This business will create and manage a website for incoming international students to the United States for information on universities, living in the US, and connections to the community. HermitCrab will expand each year to new universities to increase the total available market. In addition, the company will add revenue sources by providing additional services for a premium price. While still in their home country, prospective international students have trouble finding housing near their new university and finding a compatible roommate. There are currently 765,000 international students living in the United States right now. Each year, 215,000 new students will come from around the world to begin a program in an American university. These students all have similar housing problems that could use additional, accurate, and easy-to-read housing information to help them make the most informed decision. We provide unbiased housing information with relevant reviews written by other international students. We also satisfy the needs of international students when looking for roommates through a detailed questionnaire and roommate ranking system.

HermitCrab Housing is a website that allows international students to find housing and roommates at U.S. colleges based on preferences such as language, country, and compatibility. This business will create and manage a website for incoming international students to the United States for information on universities, living in the US, and connections to the community. HermitCrab will expand each year to new universities to increase the total available market. In addition, the company will add revenue sources by providing additional services for a premium price. While still in their home country, prospective international students have trouble finding housing near their new university and finding a compatible roommate. There are currently 765,000 international students living in the United States right now. Each year, 215,000 new students will come from around the world to begin a program in an American university. These students all have similar housing problems that could use additional, accurate, and easy-to-read housing information to help them make the most informed decision. We provide unbiased housing information with relevant reviews written by other international students. We also satisfy the needs of international students when looking for roommates through a detailed questionnaire and roommate ranking system.

Over the past two decades, obesity in America has more than doubled as our society continued rewarding the destructive habits that contribute to poor health. This business plan is a detailed layout of the development of WellSpark Health, a company that provides comprehensive wellness programs to the small and medium sized businesses. With the increasing health insurance premiums linked to rising obesity rates and the prominence of related chronic illnesses, WellSpark’s preventative solutions bring together all affected parties in order to spur healthy life style changes. While small businesses purchase our programs, WellSpark then provides our services to the client company’s employees. The plan looks at why WellSpark Health chose to target small and medium sized demographic and the details of what we offer through our wellness program. The strategies WellSpark Health will implement to marketing its brand and mission in the community, the operations, as well as our plans for expansion, risk analysis, and financial analysis of the value of our company to investors, the economy, and the local community best demonstrate the feasibility of WellSpark Health being a thriving business. This is a composite of the efforts of four individuals from the McGuire Entrepreneurship Program.