- Ideablob: where ideas grow

Misnomer Dance Theater Founder Wins National ideablob.com Contest for Best Small Business Idea

Category: Winning Announcement | Posted: 01/15/2008

Chris Elam’s idea to establish an interactive web site for performing artists is December’s best business idea.

Spring House, PA (January 15, 2008) - Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ: ADVNB; ADVNA) today announced that Chris Elam of Brooklyn, NY has been named December’s $10,000 ideablob.com monthly contest winner for the best business idea. Elam is the founder of the Brooklyn-based Misnomer Dance Theater, which has received critical acclaim for its contemporary dances about human relationships and its worldwide performances.

Elam garnered the support of the ideablob community for his idea to establish an interactive web site for performing artists. His plans for the web site include innovative online features such as live rehearsal streaming, instant messaging, virtual theaters where viewers can watch performances from multiple perspectives, and tools to measure online audiences so production companies can geographically target upcoming performances.

“Our goal is to create innovative ways to expand our fan base and at the same time bring dance to theater fans and supporters when they are not able to make it to the theater,” explained Elam. “Ideablob has proven to be a perfect, non-traditional way to get support for our non-traditional idea of promoting artists and their work.”

Ideablob.com is a vibrant and active community where small business owners and entrepreneurs are sharing business ideas in exchange for feedback, advice and votes from the community. Advanta, one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market, awards a $10,000 monthly prize to the best eligible idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob community. To date, Advanta has paid out prize money to a Chicago-based software developer and a Philadelphia-based non-profit founder.

“This month the ideablob community celebrates a talented social entrepreneur as its winner,” said Ami Kassar, Advanta’s Chief Innovation Officer. “Chris Elam’s work brilliantly combines web 2.0 technology with the arts.”

Elam was one of eight finalists competing for December’s $10,000 prize. Here are the other seven finalists and their ideas.

Sean Begora, Carpentersville, IL
Idea: A Las Vegas casino that would donate its profits to charities.

Jessica Elsas, Brooklyn, NY
Idea: A line of clothing for children with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and a range of sensory sensitivity.

James Gillmore, New York City
Idea: An online marketplace for real estate that uses video to sell and lease property.

Daniel Kahn, Cambridge, MA
Idea: To market products in the Global South (South America, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa) that are responsibly sourced in the countries where they are sold.

Becky Rolnick, Brookline, MA
Idea: Professionally produced, highly individualized personal documentaries.

Michael Simmons, Brooklyn, NY
Idea: An accountability system that encourages procrastinators to start achieving in all areas of their lives on a daily basis.

Katrina Waldron, Chicago, IL
Idea: Technical training and coaching for students to design and build applications on a popular social media network.

The eight finalists who will compete for January’s $10,000 contest prize will be announced on ideablob.com on January 22, and the ideablob community will have approximately one week to vote for January’s best business idea. To review the ideas submitted by past ideablob winners, please visit www.ideablob.com

There is no purchase necessary to enter the ideablob.com contest. Contest began on 9/24/07 at 12:00:00 am CT and ends on 9/30/08 at 11:59:59 pm CT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C. who are of the legal age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Official Rules are available online at www.ideablob.com. Sponsored by Advanta Bank Corp., PO Box 30715, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0715.

* ideablob University, ideablob.com and ideablob are service marks owned by Advanta Bank Corp.

About Advanta
Advanta is one of the nation’s largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market today. Advanta’s exclusive focus on this market, as well as its size, experience and commitment to developing meaningful product offerings and a high level of service tailored to the needs of small businesses, differentiate the company from other issuers. Founded in 1951, Advanta has long been an innovator in developing and introducing many of the marketing techniques that are common in the financial services industry today. Learn more about Advanta at www.advanta.com

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