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June, 2009

Finalist Q&A: Pandora Trips

Submitted by Jordan on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 17:28
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Pandora Trips helps people make the most of their vacations by designing for them custom vacation itineraries. The customer fills out an online form indicating travel dates and a series of answers about his or her travel interests, goals, etc. Pandora Trips conducts research in order to find and pass along activities/venues that best match our customers' interests.

How did you come up with the idea for your business, and what, or who, is your main source of motivation?

Finalist Q&A: Citi Functions

Submitted by Jordan on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 18:07
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Citi Functions provides all the unique amenities for any special event. From Dj's for that surprise party to sky-diving at 30,000 feet. Take that special someone horseback riding and dinner on the beach. Have your own personal photographer. Stage a romantic carriage ride through the citi or sore through the clouds in a hot air-balloon. Breakaway from the mundane, be creative, and sweep your loved one off their feet.

Finalist Q&A: Attention to Detail Gifts

Submitted by Jordan on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 17:16
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Attention To Detail Gifts takes gift giving to a whole new level. Attention To Detail Gifts provides over 400 gift baskets, vibrant flowers, and decadent chocolates to clients. They offer: * Same day shipping * The sender's personalized message * Package tracking * Reminder service * 24 hour gift advice * A post delivery confirmation call All Free Of Charge. They have been featured in a local paper and Oprah Winfrey has been the recipient of one of their gifts.

Finalist Q&A: Stressbusters

Submitted by Jordan on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 16:15
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This business installs the Stressbusters program on college campuses and provides guidance, print materials, and school-to-school best-practice facilitation to support their ongoing operation and expansion. Stressbusters is a college wellness and prevention program that contributes to the creation of a healthier campus community through continuous outreach efforts, resource education and training. At its core, Stressbusters trains students to be wellness coaches who calm and connect thousands of students and staff with support services and free backrubs at planned events all over campus, all year long. Beyond backrubs, Stressbusters supports campus mental health safeguards by encouraging self-care and help-seeking behaviors while reducing student isolation.

Finalist Q&A: Brighter Pastures

Submitted by Jordan on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 17:47
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Brighter Pastures provides Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Growth, Learning, and Education to commmunities throughout central Illinois. Their mission is to enrich the quality of lives and relationships of individuals, groups, and families by encouraging self-awareness, positive attitudes, empowerment, self-esteem, life-skills, emotional healing, and personal growth through experiential learning in partnership with horses.

Finalist Q&A: Engines of Creation

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 14:15
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Engines of Creation Web Design & Development offers website design, development and search engine marketing services to small and medium sized businesses. They have a large focus on customer service and providing a quality service at an affordable price.

Finalist Q&A: Greener Planet Design, LLC

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 06/23/2009 - 16:38
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Greener Planet Design, LLC provides Residential New-build and Re-Green Architectural design plan services. With an environmental focus, these plans detail: The construction, specification, and resources needed for a complete set of building permits and site implementation. More specifically, the design goals provide short and long-term public resource dependency reduction for home-owners on utilities such as Energy, Fuel, and Water. The company empowers clients to build with less impact to themselves and the environment.

Finalist Q&A: Go Green Go

Submitted by Jordan on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 16:17
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Go Green Go creates T-shirts that promote eco-friendly activities, such as walking, hiking, biking, sailing, etc. The logo is a "little green guy" carrying the earth. Their tag line is "Saving the Earth One Shirt at a Time". These T-shirts are a walking billboard--not only do they raise the awareness of the need to preserve the environment but they also promote eco-friendly activities.

Preliminary voting results for the Seventh Idea Cafe Grant

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 19:04
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The voting for the winner of the Seventh Idea Cafe Grant continues, with some of the finalists taking a lead. However, nothing is decided at this point, because voting is scheduled to close on July 7th, and there is still time for the overall picture to change. We are presenting the current distribution of votes below. Please note that finalists who received less than 1% of the total number of votes are not listed in the graphic.