Figuring out where to store your stuff — the futon, the mini-fridge — over the summer is a perennial problem for dorm-dwelling college students whose homes are far from campus. Many opt for self-storage units, a safe but expensive solution.

But �ֲ���ý senior George DeLana can now offer an alternative. Nook, his online marketplace where �ֲ���ý students can rent summer storage space from nearby Lewiston residents, won the $10,000 first prize in the March 16 Bobcat Ventures student pitch competition.

Bobcat Ventures winner George Delana ’19 receives a check from judges Emma Sprague ’10,
Ben Schippers ’04, and Chris Barbin ’93. (Sarah du Pont ’21 for �ֲ���ý College)

It’s an “Airbnb for storage,” DeLana says.

Emma Sprague ’10, one of three alumni who judged the competition, said Nook had the combination of the right idea and the right leader.

“George presented a calm confidence that was incredibly compelling,” said Sprague, a �ֲ���ý trustee and co-founder of leadership development group Upswing Strategies. “It was clear he’d poured energy and thoughtfulness into the business and the pitch, and would bring steadiness and determination to Nook’s execution.”

Bobcat Ventures is a student-run group, supported by the Center for Purposeful Work, that promotes entrepreneurship with year-round workshops, alumni visits, and the signature annual pitch competition.

Evaluating the eight pitches this year were alumni judges who themselves have plenty of entrepreneurial experience: Sprague was joined by fellow trustee Chris Barbin ’93, co-founder and CEO of IT firm Appirio, and Ben Schippers ’04, cofounder of web and mobile app developer HappyFun Corp.

“The biggest thing that has helped us grow is just, talk to as many people as you can, get as much advice as you can.”

The Nook concept, DeLana says, is simple: “Homeowners living in college towns, around universities, who have an empty space like a garage or an attic or a guest room, can list their space.”

A 10-by-10 unit at the U-Haul’s storage operation in Auburn runs at about $115 a month. A similarly sized space in someone’s garage through Nook would be about $50, DeLana says. Nook itself would take a commission from the hosts and charge a service fee to the renters.

While other startups around the country have begun to occupy a similar space as Nook, DeLana believes his team will be able to execute the idea better than others.

To gauge interest, DeLana, whose business partner is Rachael Rosow ’18, pitched the idea to his classmates, who seemed enthusiastic. He also knocked on doors on and around College Street and found several homeowners willing to sign up — so far, tentative commitments total 4,000 square feet of space, he says.

Then, to prepare for the big pitch, DeLana talked to people — and more people, and more people.

“The biggest thing that has helped us grow is just, talk to as many people as you can, get as much advice as you can,” he says. “Ask them, ‘What am I doing wrong?’”

Repeating and refining the pitch was a winning strategy at the Bobcat Ventures competition. Taking the $5,000 second prize were Shane Ward ’21 and Isabella David ’22, who presented an idea for a room-cleaning service.

The alumni judges based their evaluations on three criteria, said Sprague: the passion and polish of the presentation, and the potential of the project.

It should be clear throughout the pitch, said Barbin, that the entrepreneur is excited about the project.

“From my entrepreneurial experience, the path and the journey is a huge part of the fun,” Barbin said. “It’s not just selling off the company or getting the next big customer win, but enjoying the process of it all.”

DeLana, a mathematics major, plans to spend time after graduation focusing exclusively on Nook: He and Rosow want to launch it in Lewiston-Auburn this spring, in time to meet the demand for summer storage.

George Delana ’19 poses in a room at Nash House, a student residence on College Street, where his friends live with many of the kinds of possessions that require summer storage. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

They created a rudimentary website before the competition and will use the prize money to improve it. DeLana himself will be the company’s first quality control officer, evaluating potential storage spaces.

He and Rosow hope to expand to Boston, where just 1 percent of the city’s student population would represent 1,000 potential customers.

Making a successful pitch, he says, involves a lot of pitches that miss the mark.

“Writing a pitch, pitching it to as many people as you possibly can, asking everybody afterward what you did wrong, and being open to what they have to say,” he says. “That’s the biggest thing — pitching a hundred times and receiving criticism.”

�ֲ���ý College has announced the election of three alumni to its Board of Trustees:

• David W. Longdon III ’14, investment banking analyst at Barclays;
• Judith Burns Miller ’91, managing director and chief of staff to the chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.;
• Emma Sprague ’10, director of The Franklin Forum, a political communications firm.

“We are thrilled to welcome Judy, David, and Emma as our newest �ֲ���ý trustees,” said Mike Bonney ’80, P’09, P’12, P’15, chair of the board. “Judy has been committed to advancing �ֲ���ý’ interests since graduating from the college, and we are grateful that she is willing to increase her engagement in this way. David and Emma are both active and visible young alumni leaders who will add significant value to the board’s efforts.”

Longdon’s and Sprague’s elections as young alumni trustees are the first such appointments in recent �ֲ���ý history and were a response to the board’s desire to better understand the perspectives of recent graduates and to gain input on communication, engagement and volunteer strategies.

David W. Longdon III

David W. Longdon III ’14

Longdon is an investment banking analyst at Barclays in New York City where he interned as a junior before joining the firm after graduation. Prior to �ֲ���ý, Longdon spent most of his life in Ghana and the United Kingdom.

At �ֲ���ý, he majored in economics and French and minored in mathematics. As a Harward Summer Student Fellow he served as a leadership intern with Lots to Gardens, a youth-focused organization in Lewiston run by St. Mary’s Nutrition Center that turns vacant urban lots into community gardens. He was also awarded the Stangle Grant for Economics & Law to conduct research in Ghana on the feasibility of a microfinance project for low-income farmers. While at �ֲ���ý, Longdon was a member of the Africana Club, the International Club, Sankofa, the �ֲ���ý College Investment Club, and the Senior Gift Committee.

Since graduation, Longdon has engaged with college programs, hosting �ֲ���ý Alumni Mosaic events and working with the �ֲ���ý Career Development Center to organize informational/recruiting sessions on campus. Outside the �ֲ���ý community, Longdon volunteers with iMentor, a program that creates mentoring relationships to empower first-generation high-school students to graduate, succeed in college, and achieve their aspirations.

Longdon lives in New York City.

Judith Burns Miller

Judith Burns Miller ’91

Miller is a managing director and chief of staff at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she oversees internal and external communications for CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon. Miller had previously been a marketing and communications executive and media spokesperson for the company. Prior to joining JPMorgan in 1997, Miller was a publicity specialist in the publishing industry, most recently at Putnam Publishers.

At �ֲ���ý, Miller majored in English and was captain of the women’s tennis team. Miller and her husband, Greg ’88, have been active in alumni and college programs, hosting events and participating in class reunions and presidential events in New York City. Miller has been a career adviser to �ֲ���ý students through the Career Development Center and an enthusiastic fan at recent athletic events in support of her nephew, Steven Hild ’15.

The Millers live in Old Greenwich, Conn., with their two teenagers, Claire and Kevin.

Emma Sprague

Emma Sprague ’10

Sprague is the director of The Franklin Forum, a Washington, D.C-based organization that provides media, public speaking, and communications training to progressive advocates, candidates, and pundits. Her team was highly engaged with the 2016 elections – coaching leaders in 20 states and all of the speakers at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Sprague is also a consultant with KNP Communications, which extends the same strategic communications training to other sectors.

Sprague graduated from �ֲ���ý cum laude with a degree in art and visual culture and a minor in economics. At �ֲ���ý, she was active in the Admission office and Peer Writing Center,  and was a member of the Strange Bedfellows improv comedy group. Sprague received the 2012 �ֲ���ý’ Best Award and 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Award for her passion and commitment to �ֲ���ý and her leadership and organization in the BOLD (Bobcats of the Last Decade) community.

A member of the Alumni Council since 2013, Sprague has remained closely involved with campus and served as the council’s liaison to the Communications and Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Sprague lives in Washington, D.C.

Established in 1987, the Distinguished Young Alumni Award is presented to a graduate of not more than 15 years for exceptional volunteer service to �ֲ���ý and distinction in his or her career.

This year the award was presented to Emma Sprague ’10 at the Annual Gathering of the Alumni Association on June 13, 2014, by Michael Lieber ’92, president of the Alumni Association.

Citation for Emma Sprague ’10

It’s my great pleasure to honor one of the college’s true treasures, Emma Sprague of the �ֲ���ý Class of 2010, with this year’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

Emma Sprague ’10 accepts the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Mike Lieber ’92, president of the Alumni Association, at Reunion on June 13, 2015. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

One of the most remarkable things about Emma is the passion she devotes to Bobcats of the Last Decade — or BOLD alumni, as we call younger alumni.

In partnership with fellow volunteers Emma developed the BOLD Regional Coordinator Program that helps organize �ֲ���ý in the City programming to welcome the newest classes of alumni to their host cities.

Emma graduated cum laude with a B.A. in art and visual culture and a minor in economics. Since �ֲ���ý, she has found purposeful work as an emerging leader in the field of media training and communications. A founding partner of the Franklin Forum in Washington, D.C., a firm that provides media training and support for progressive messengers and messaging, she serves as associate director of outreach and engagement while also consulting with the firm KNP Communications.

She is a member of the Alumni Council and has served as a �ֲ���ý Fund class agent, helping young alumni develop their own philanthropic relationship with the college. In 2012, she became a member of the Mount David Society by making a leadership-level gift — and we are grateful she continues to do so.

Emma, you give so generously of your time, your many talents, and your expertise to �ֲ���ý. Your passion and hard work have built a firm foundation for our efforts to engage young �ֲ���ý alumni. For your service, I am honored to present to you with the 2015 Distinguished Young Alumni Award.