Student in computer science and software engineering co-founds international snack package startup, reaches Tiger Cage finals

Fresh off another rigorous Auburn University swim practice, Liam Heary and Harrison Ranier were tired and a little hungry. The butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke or freestyle can do that to you.

Then a teammate walked into the locker room with a basket full of goodies — from France. Chocolate bars, cookies, chips, you name it.

“You could tell that his parents had sent it to him,” said Heary, a sophomore in computer science and software engineering. “He was very proud. It seemed like a suitcase full of snacks, and he wanted to share them with the rest of the team.”

Instantly an idea was sparked … bringing snacks from across the planet into the arms of people who could not easily access them otherwise.

“That emotional connection inspired us to look into distributing international snacks as a whole and we discovered a ridiculous lack of authentic international snacks,” Heary said. “Most online stores have outrageous shipping costs or pricing, and in American stores, the variety is very limited. You only find a few country-specific international stores. We saw this gap in the market and wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.”

Ranier, a sophomore majoring in apparel merchandising, said the team liked the snacks so much, they wanted to get more right away.

“We quickly realized that it was almost impossible in America to get those same snacks, and then we put ourselves in the shoes of international students, just like our teammate,” Ranier said.

Heary and Ranier capitalized on the idea and founded a startup — Planet of Snacks — which will compete on Friday, March 28 with five other teams in the Tiger Cage Student Business Idea Competition final round, where students will compete in up to $105,000 in startup capital.

Want some San Carlo potato chips from Italy? How about some Soletti Salzstangerl Pretzel Sticks from Austria, or even Joyva Chocolate-Covered Halvah from Greece? Heary and Harrison have you covered.

Planet of Snacks distributes snack boxes covering favorites from 32 countries. Each box contains 10 authentic items and one monthly rotating snack for $29.99.

"We surveyed 120 international students and gathered data from suppliers in the country of origin,” Heary said. “We choose the best, most authentic snacks to put in the box. The goal is for someone in America who is from a smaller country like Austria to go online and say, 'Wow, this is Austria. I know all these snacks.' All the people we show our boxes to here say, 'This is my childhood.' If they grew up there, have an emotional connection to there, they can get these snacks every month. It's not much, but it’s a little taste of home.”

As Planet of Snacks’ “tech guy,” Heary uses skills — a two-time high school state champion from Sarasota, Florida — learned in computer science classes. Ranier — a two-time high school state champion from Concord, North Carolina — serves as graphics designer.

“Since I was a kid, I've always liked redesigning or making new logos for name-brand companies, logos based off my initials, school, swim team, or just anything I thought was cool,” Ranier said. “To be able to create something, use it, market it and see it on a big stage is an indescribable feeling.

“Creating this business has never actually felt like work, because I enjoy doing it so much, and know that it contributes to something greater than myself.”

Heary said his Auburn Engineering education is already paying dividends.

“Computer science classes helped me so much,” Heary said. “They made me believe that I could do it. If I didn't know how to code and do all these things, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of this. But since I was able to fine-tune my skills into a specialty, I did a really good job with my classes and learning from them.

“The things we do in class are very similar to what you see in any tech-oriented company or engineering-wise in a company. There are many different branches it could be in, but I'm thankful for that foundation. It allows me to build something and use the same learning practices to learn things outside my studies, like business and product research. All this self-learning stems from the practices I've learned through the engineering program.”

Heary isn’t the only Auburn Engineering student competing in the university’s most prestigious entrepreneurship competition. Vincent Visser, a sophomore in industrial and systems engineering, was also selected by judges to pitch his business idea, Polar Docks.

Other Auburn University students reaching the final round include Trusty (Eliot Wilson-Daniel, business administration), Tradition Apparel (Harrison Irby, finance), Bandit Duck Calls (Simon Worley, management) and Protector Innovations (Sophia Aulisio, accounting).

Presented by the New Venture Accelerator and Harbert College of Business, Tiger Cage provides months of coaching and mentoring to students on how to develop business plans, evolving those plans and pitching ideas before industry professional judges or potential investors.

First place will receive $30,000 in startup capital. The remaining prize breakdown is: second place $20,000, third place $15,000, fourth place $10,000, and $5,000 each for the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management “Special Award” and two “Soar Awards” designated by judges.

The 11^th Tiger Cage final round will kick off inside Horton-Hardgrave Hall’s Broadway Event and Space Theater at 8:30 a.m. with pitches, briefly followed by question/answer sessions with judges, beginning at 9 a.m.

Awards will be announced at 2:30 p.m.