Zorpads Founders Launch Company, Look to Extend to Other Categories

REAL SHOE-INS: Graduating from Harvard Business School might cause some to want to kick off the shoes, but two recent alum looked at that tendency as an opportunity for a viable business. Sprung from what started as a school project, Zorpads, odor-eliminating inserts are being launched by cofounders Taylor Wiegele and Sierra Smith. The pair met at Harvard Business School, where both graduated from in May. The $5 one-size-fits-all items are sold on the Zorpads site, and between 10,000 and 50,000 units are expected to be sold this year, according to Smith. Once stuck to the insole of a shoe, Zorpads are supposed to last for 60 wearings. Extending the technology for a variety of types of shoes and for the interior of gym bags are areas being considered for future growth. Wiegele and Smith tested earlier versions at HBS, and finished as semi-finalists in Harvard’s New Venture Competition. That ranking helped to attract the attention of Rough Draft Ventures which is supporting Zorpads with funding and mentoring. RDV cofounder Peter Boyce II noted that the resources at HBS has proved to be a powerhouse for helping early stage founders in launching their startups, pointing to Dia & Co. and Rent The

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