Our Canned Spinach crew is proud to report a strong showing at this year’s annual Miami Dolphins Business Combine. At the heart of this multi-day development program lies the infamous Fin Tank Competition (think: Shark Tank). This event has developed quite the reputation amongst the NFL Players and business coaches alike, and Canned Spinach was excited to send Andrew Savitz (CEO) and Sophia Wegman (Lead Designer) to Miami to join in on the fun.
As part of the Fin Tank experience, the Dolphins organization pairs over 30 current players with Business Coaches, Designers, and former Dolphins players to create 5 competing teams. These teams then participate in a Speed Build event, where in the span of just a few short hours they develop a unique and actionable business plan (fit with market research and prototypes), and ultimately present a 5-6 minute pitch in front of a crowd and a renowned panel of judges. Like we said—fun, right?!
While we’re no stranger to tight deadlines in our business, the Canned Spinach crew had a blast flexing our extreme time-crunch muscles and enjoyed brainstorming and developing ideas alongside the players as they took a deep dive into our world of ideation, problem solving, and prototyping.
Both Andrew and Sophia competed on different teams, and we are over the moon to report that Andrew and Team 3 clinched the big win (🎉) with their inclusive men’s care business: Tru Tone Sunscreen! Looks like Canned Spinach might have some new business strategists joining our team from Miami sometime soon… 😉 Their presentation featured extensive industry research and even included a lively skincare demonstration courtesy of Robert Hunt (see below). And speaking of lively—we’d like to extend a huge shoutout to everyone’s favorite MC, Chip Paucek, for bringing his special brand of laughter and energy to the Fin Tank, as well as for generously providing the winners with the chance to continue their education through elite programming at 2U.
We’d also like to extend a big thank you to our dedicated teams:
TEAM 3:
- Business Coach: Andrew Savitz
- Business Coach: Florence Shaffer (VP/Chief of Staff, Matterport)
- Business Coach: Genine Fallon (CEO & Partner, BLVCKOPS)
- Business Coach: Justin Forsett (Founder & CEO, Hustle Clean, Former NFL Pro Bowl Running Back)
- Designer: Chelsea Weber
- Players:
- Elijah Campbell (Defensive Back)
- Liam Eichenberg (Offensive Line)
- Robert Hunt (Offensive Line)
- Patrick Laird (Running Back)
- Jaelan Phillips (Linebacker)
TEAM 2:
- Business Coach: Doug Brien (Co-founder & CEO, Mynd Property Management, Former NFL Placekicker and Super Bowl Champion)
- Business Coach: Ujwal Velagapudi (Owner, HiBryon, Entrepreneur)
- Designer: Sophia Wegman
- Players:
- Malcolm Brown (Running Back)
- Sam Eguavoen (Linebacker)
- Clayton Fejedelem (Safety)
- Jevon Holland (Safety)
- Austin Jackson (Offensive Line)
- Nik Needham (Cornerback)
At its core, the Dolphins Business Combine exists to invest in the players, equip them for success off the field, and kickstart their post-career success. It is a distinct honor and privilege to take part in these events, and our deepest appreciation goes out to the Dolphins organization, players, Kaleb Thornhill (Director of Player Engagement), and the many many folks who make this event possible.
We’ll see you next year!
