UCLA Anderson MBA students conduct Applied Management Research field study projects in lieu of a thesis. Anderson gives full-time students the Business Creation Option in which entrepreneurs launch companies while still in school. We’re highlighting stories of Class of 2017 mission-driven BCO projects that fulfill unmet needs in sectors from e-commerce to cleantech.
By Anna Highberger (’17), Brian Leong (’17), Evan Milnor (’17) and Jesse Shapiro (’17)
Officebites takes the guesswork out of healthy snacking in the workplace.
Our subscription snack box contains nutritionally ideal snacks to help consumers become more mindful about what they eat at work. After consulting with nutritionists and dietitians, we’ve developed a menu of snacks with two times the protein and half the sugar of the vast majority of snacks on the market. They are portion-controlled at 135 calories each and are time-stamped for consumption two times a day.
We're proud to announce that officebites has been awarded the UCLA Anderson/Union Bank Most Outstanding Business Creation Award and a fellowship from YPO West Los Angeles, and we tied for second place in UCLA Anderson’s 2017 Knapp Venture Competition.
Officebites research started with interviews with nutritionists and dietitians to understand what an ideal snack looks like from a macronutrient (carbohydrates vs. proteins vs. fats) perspective, and where people most often undermine their wellness goals. In conjunction with product ideation via our improv coaches and BCO advisor Dan Nathanson, we consolidated feedback and developed our minimum viable product, which we then tested on a dozen pilot participants in December 2016. We interviewed the participants about their experience, inquiring about what worked and what didn’t. Along with refining the product (both the menu of snacks as well as the packaging), we developed a website (www.myofficebites.com), filed for incorporation and, in February 2017, executed a second pilot study among 30 paying participants.
This second pilot study tested several hypotheses, the most important of which was willingness to pay — indicating quite positive prospects. During the study we also introduced SnackBot, a playful mascot on our website that, via a survey, helps match customers to boxes based on individuals’ taste preferences. We tested hypotheses around messaging, menu/snack flavor profiles and the appropriate number of snacks per box. As a result of our one-on-one post-pilot interviews, we have introduced the bigbox intended for office sharing, our dairy-free Moo Outta the Way and a customizable option people can personalize once they've identified their favorites.
We launched officebites’ third pilot study in May 2017 to iron out the wrinkles that emerged with a subscription business model. Our next steps are geared toward a commercial launch. We have finalized our packaging design and signed on with a local co-packer and printer, and we anticipate a full commercial launch in summer 2017. Our team is actively seeking a seed round of financing and looking for one or two more advisors to join our board.
Visit us at www.myofficebites.com and sign up to receive updates as we prepare to launch. To contact the team directly, please email Jesse Shapiro at [email protected].
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