You’re ready to invest in an alternative-fuel vehicle to cut your greenhouse gas emissions and perhaps even save money at the pump. But where, exactly, do you find the right kind of pump?
Ask Kavi Turnbull. He hopes to launch a Web-based service to make locating any of more than 7,000 alternative-fuel stations across the United States as easy as looking up phone numbers.
Turnbull’s idea earned him the Nelson Institute’s Green Entrepreneurial Venture Recognition Award at the 11th annual G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition in April, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin School of Business. He received a $1,000 cash prize provided by an anonymous donor.
A hint of what Turnbill plans appears on DriveAlternatives.com, where one eventually will be able to search the country for fueling stations serving hybrid, biodiesel, ethanol 85, electric, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and propane vehicles. He also expects to supplement the database with recommendations for more than 100 new models of green vehicles based on fuel availability and driving preferences.
A first-year MBA student, Turnbull is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and a veteran of two startup businesses.
Initiated in 1998, the Burrill competition encourages UW-Madison students to develop and present technology-based business plans. Seventeen plans were entered and six cash prizes were awarded in this year’s competition.
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M.B.A. student Kavi Turnbull (right) discusses his business idea during a break at the 11th annual G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition.