Young Entrepreneur From Colorado Makes Gum On The Fly

By Kathy Walsh

DENVER (CBS4) - Imagine mouthwash and chewing gum all in one. A young man from Colorado is actually making it.

Cole T. Evans says it's for people on the go who care about their oral hygiene. The sophomore at Trinity University in Texas is winning contests and signing up customers.

Evans is the CEO and co-founder of Plova Chewing Gum. He's a graduate of Kent Denver. During his senior year at Kent, he first concocted the idea of a unique chewing gum.

"It was called the Chewthbrush. That was the name that came out of high school," Evans told CBS4 Health Specialist Kathy Walsh.

But at Trinity University, in an entrepreneurship class, the idea took off and Plova Chewing Gum was hatched. It was named for the Egyptian plover bird.

"Which is a bird that has a symbiotic relationship with crocodiles and it cleans the crocodile's teeth," Evans explained.

It all made sense for a gum formulated as oral care between brushing.

"There is a natural whitening agent, an anti-plaque agent, an anti-microbial agent," the 20-year-old said.

It's all packed into a little, blue, sugar free, peppermint disc. The product is designed for people on the go.

"We think that we have something here," Evans said.

Evans has two partners who are also sophomores at Trinity. They funded their venture by winning a total of $30,000 in a university contest.

On April 7, Evans will compete against five other national finalists in what's called Cupid's Cup. It's sort of a shark tank for students started by the founder of Under Armour. The prize is $100,000 and professional help.

"It really takes your business and transforms it to the next level," said Evans.

For now, Evans says he's got orders from hotels, among them several Hiltons and The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. He's got a plan to eventually put mouthwash in the center of the gum. And after gum?

"Dentally beneficial lollipops, blowpops with the Plova Chewing Gum in the middle of the lollipop," he said.

As he packages one product, Evans is unflappable. He's already wondering how to make his next idea fly.

LINK: plovagum.com

Kathy Walsh is CBS4's Weekend Anchor and Health Specialist. She has been with CBS4 for more than 30 years. She is always open to story ideas. Follow Kathy on Twitter @WalshCBS4.