Sweet Spot Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Smart Activity Gaming

Sanwood, LLC is crowdfunding its launch of Sweet Spot, a smart swing sensor for golf and tennis. Sweet Spot is available for preorder through Indiegogo.com and supporters of the campaign are able to reserve Sweet Spot for $99.95.  Sweet Spot was developed by Sanwood, LLC and founded by Dr. Robert (Bob) Woods and Eric Sanchez with development in Santa Barbara, CA and business development in Las Vegas, NV.
  
Sweet Spot is a smart swing sensor that connects via BluetoothSmart to an iOS or Android app and works with any golf club or tennis racket. The Sweet Spot sensor records data from a golf club and tennis racket, helping players improve their game by gamifying practice and play.  Sweet Spot’s Swing Away Activity Games develop a users’ swing and make practice fun through multilevel training games for all ages and skill levels. Sweet Spot’s social integration will allow users to connect with friends on Facebook to challenge, compete, and share accomplishments. The activity games teach the fundamentals of golf and tennis while developing the key skills.

Sweet Spot is the first product from Sanwood LLC, a developer of activity gaming technology. is the technology development company behind Sweet Spot and IoT Skybox. The Sweet Spot sensor records data from a golf club and tennis racket, helping players improve their game by gamifying their practice and play time.

Today’s sedentary technology is adversely impacting the health of our children, but Sweet Spot is part of a movement to change that trend with “internet of things” devices that gamify activity.  Activity games, like Sweet Spot, engage users and challenge them by making it fun to learn how to play a new sport.  Sanwood incorporated game mechanics to make Sweet Spot challenging for all skill levels and by connecting Sweet Spot to Facebook, players will be able to challenge their friends around the world.

Regarding the crowdfunding campaign, Eric Sanchez, President of Sanwood LLC, said, “We are very excited to be launching on Indiegogo. This is a great opportunity for us to intro the product at a discount and help us finalize our tooling and manufacturing here in the US.”



Register now for preorder notifications by visiting http://gosweetspot.net/preorder. Sweet Spot’s crowdfunding campaign is now live. Contributors that give $99.95 will receive a Sweet Spot sensor and hardware for golf and tennis. To learn more about Sweet Spot, visit www.GoSweetSpot.net.

For Press inquiries, contact Sweet Spot Marketing rmcmanus(a)contentvia.com.

About Sanwood LLC & Sweet Spot
SanWood, LLC is a Nevada-based corporation with software and hardware development in Santa Barbara, CA and business operations at The Integration Center in Las Vegas, NV. Learn more about Sweet Spot at www.goSweetSpot.net.

Pioneering Hackathon Event to Accelerate Latino Entrepreneurship Takes Off on the Central Coast of California

SANTA MARIA, CA - July 2, 2014 - Nestled between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Santa Maria is part of a Central Coast hotbed of rising entrepreneurial activity. Set to take place on August 1st - 3rd, Startup Weekend Santa Maria (http://santamaria.startupweekend.org) is aimed at accelerating entrepreneurship in an arena where Hispanics account for 70% of the population.

Offering a dynamic runway for launching new ideas, Startup Weekend Santa Maria brings a robust mix of mentorship, idea generation, unmatched networking, team building, and startup community energy. “Startup Weekend is a legitimate resource for people with ideas and we are delighted to help make this event a reality providing a solid launch pad for entrepreneurship to the local Hispanic business community,” stated Sandra Valdez, Co-Organizer and local business leader.

“This ‘No talk. All action.’ event stands as a true landmark in enhancing the economic vitality of our city and region.”, said Jose Huitron, Co-Organizer and Central Coast Chapter Director of the Latino Startup Alliance. “We are beyond excited to address a growing demand for startup fuel and help share the unmatched excitement of Startup Weekend by hosting an event in Spanish that will foster tangible outcomes and continued momentum.”

To register or attend this event, follow this link Register!

Startup Weekend Santa Maria en Español will take place at MIYB Spaces, the newest coworking facility on the Central Coast.

ABOUT STARTUP WEEKEND
Startup Weekend (http://startupweekend.org) is a non-profit, community-building event that brings together entrepreneurs of different backgrounds, including software developers, marketers, designers, and other enthusiasts throughout the globe. They gather to to pitch ideas, form teams and start companies in just 54 hours. The participants that attend have 60 seconds to make a pitch (optional), the pitches are whittled down to the top ideas, and then teams form around the ideas to come out with several developed companies or projects. Finally, the weekend culminates with demonstrations in front of an audience of judges and potential investors.



For Latinos Gaining Access to Capital is Like Climbing Mount Everest

Capital is a critical resource for accelerating ideas and keeping entrepreneurs on the path to changing the world. However, a recent study highlights significant discrimination in the land of plenty. 

Conducted by business school professors at Utah State University, Brigham Young University and Rutgers University, the study featured nine businessmen—three white, three black, and three Hispanic. Similar in size and stature, donning the same outfits, and armed with similar education levels and financial profiles, they visited numerous banks seeking a roughly $60,000 loan to expand the very same business.

The Hispanic and black business owners were provided far less information about loan terms, offered less application help by loan officers, less frequently handed a business card, and asked more questions about their personal finances. (Washington Post)

Despite the fact that Latinos make up the fastest growing entrepreneurial segment in the U.S., these barriers in financing prove as a stark reminder of the need to amplify awareness around the real challenges that exist for minority entrepreneurs.

In an arena where only 1-2% of VC money finds its way to African American and Latino entrepreneurs, there is still plenty of work to do and kudos to those who are raising the flag of awareness.