i2B student entrepreneur named semifinalist in innovation competition

Presenting his Internet radio app concept, Radio Dayrage, in the student category, OU junior David Boni, BIS major and entrepreneurship minor, reached semifinalist status in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition (ACMIC) in November. Billed as the largest competition of its kind in the United States, Boni is the first known Oakland University student to participate in the competition.

The ACMIC brings together later-stage entrepreneurial companies with local, national and international investors, and awards more than $1 million cash and in-kind prizes. Student competitors are judged on innovation, clarity of presentation, the proposed product or service and market opportunity.

"With student teams representing universities throughout Michigan, it was a great accomplishment for Dave and his Oakland University team to advance to the semifinals in this major innovation competition,” says Wayne Blizman, director, OU’s Ideas 2 Business (i2B) lab. “I have witnessed significant progress in the development and initial launch of their business idea and anticipate further successes.”

Boni and his partners are participants in OU’s ideas 2 Business (i2B) Lab, which supports Oakland University community members in the development of entrepreneurial ideas.

A Washington Township resident, Boni launched Radio Dayrage as a limited liability corporation with three student partners in February 2013. The business, which provides streaming of college-party inspired music, went live in November and is at work finalizing iPhone and Android apps.

A lack of quality, advertisement-free music options for college events started Boni down the path of launching this business. The inspiration for Radio Dayrage is described in a letter from Boni on the station’s Web site: “I thought, why couldn’t there be an ‘FM-like’ radio station for college students? (It would have) a morning talk show that talked about something other than Kim Kardashian, that played actual good music all day, and during party hours played an advertisement-free live broadcasted mix.”

Not only is Boni juggling studies and launching this business, he also holds an internship at the Macomb-Oakland University INCubator, an entrepreneurial support and resource program for community businesses.