The NFL Draft is going to Green Bay this year from April 26th through the 28th. Two students from the University of Minnesota saw this as an opportunity to create something, and MyDraft Experience was born. Their business has accumulated a total of 32 local business partners across Green Bay, all including exclusive deals in the MyDraft Booklet for the week surrounding the NFL Draft. For $25, the booklet gives access to over $200 in value at coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and more. 

However, the final product we see today was not how it started. Over Thanksgiving break, Jack was on his way back to Green Bay and an idea popped into his head. While brainstorming, he realized that the NFL Draft was coming to his hometown, and wanted to come up with a way to capitalize on the opportunity. He came up with “Drafting at the Draft”, a new spin on college bar crawls. A bar crawl typically includes about five to seven different bars, with the participants purchasing a ticketed item to partake. Jack pondered the idea over break, until bringing the proposition to his friend Luke.

As a marketing major, Luke had many different ideas about the product. After a few hours of back and forth conversation, the duo settled on the name “MyDraft Experience”. MyDraft was a simple way of describing to the consumers that this was to be their experience, and the product was to be focused on them. With a name, a pitch deck, and a dream, Jack and Luke returned to Green Bay the following weekend to pitch the idea to several bars. Almost immediately however, they ran into a roadblock. Many of the bars that were on their list already had plans for the draft, had concerns about security, and were generally uninterested. Back to the drawing board. 

Venturing home after an unsuccessful weekend, the two exchanged more ideas about how to iterate the product to create something of value for the consumer. It wasn’t long before lightbulbs started to go off. Jack and Luke asked themselves a long series of questions. First, why focus on just bars? What if they focused on all types of local businesses? Why limit it to seven locations? What if they partnered with a charity? After more inquisition and banter, they arrived at what is now the MyDraft Experience Booklet. 

The booklet includes deals and exclusive discounts at 32 local businesses separated into three categories: Crafts and Cocktails, Coffee and Breakfast, and Restaurants and Specialty. Collectively, there is over $200 in value for an asking price of $25. Jack and Luke plan to increase prices to $30 come April, and the deals will be valid from April 18th through the 30th. Additionally, they have partnered with Curative Connections, a non-profit organization aimed at aiding those with disabilities achieve independence. MyDraft has pledged 10% of its revenue to be donated to the cause. 

With only 37 days remaining until the draft, Jack and Luke plan to return to Green Bay as often as possible. They have said that balancing their project with school has been a challenge, but has been manageable. It seems the time constraint has pushed them into overdrive. Although they have been working hard overcoming obstacles and objections, they remain positive. As business students, they claim that the experience of creating something from the ground up has already been worth the investment, and any money made is a cherry on top. 

And yes, I am the same Luke from the story. Please share our story with everyone you know! I appreciate you 🙂

You can find your copy of the MyDraft Experience Booklet Here.

Follow along for the journey on Facebook and Instagram – @mydraftexperience