McElroy Team App Idea Accepted for Development at Shark Tank Competition

Graceland University Associate Professor of Business Administration Jeff McElroy participated in a “Shark Tank”-style event for mobile app development Saturday, Feb. 3, in Kansas City. The event, sponsored by mobile app developer PocketCake, was organized by Graceland graduate Terra Whipple ’08, founder and business strategist at Live By Change Consulting.

Participants ranged from high school students to professionals with expertise in print, catering, tattooing, finances and media, and included other Graceland alumni Trey Hepburn ’09 and Darrin Minor ‘11.

Teams were formed and charged with brainstorming ideas and presenting one viable app idea to judges. Both the idea presented by McElroy’s team and a second idea presented by McElroy and Hepburn were accepted to move on to the app development stage, but, due to confidentiality, the details remain unpublished.

For every app idea accepted, PocketCake will pay all expenses, and the inventor will receive a minimum of five percent of all profits with the opportunity to earn more if they choose to be involved in the development of the app.