Florida's vote in the Democratic primary may not have counted, but it certainly will here. For the second year running, we are asking our readers to help choose a winner in The Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge.
Our panel of judges have whittled down the Top 12 entries to six semi-finalists. We forced those finalists to brave downtown traffic and come into the newspaper to film a one- to two-minute presentation.
You can view those presentations online at: MiamiHerald.com/challenge.
Watch them all, choose your favorite and cast your vote.
We'll be profiling the winner of the ''People's Pick'' May 19 in a Business Monday cover story, along with the top three plans chosen by our judges.
Voting ends May 12.
The semi-finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
• Allergy Free Shop: This retail outlet will provide worry-free shopping for those with food allergies or who are on restricted diets. While many allergy-sufferers are forced to shop at several stores -- or online -- to find such things as their gluten-free crackers, Allergy Free will bring the items together under one roof. It will also host seminars by dietitians and allergy experts.
Jennifer Herskowitz, Miami.
• Doggy-Duo: Anybody who has ever tried to walk two dogs at once knows to expect knotted leashes. Doggy-Duo has invented a retractable leash with a pivoting spinner at the end that guarantees tangle-free outings.
Anthony Lisiewski, Carlos Musibay, Jeffery Willis, Miami.
• Get It and Give It: Of the $26 billion in gift cards purchased last year, almost $8 billion went unused. Get It and Give It will partner with retailers and allow customers to donate the unused portion of their cards to charity. The service expects to relieve the accounting headaches that unused gift cards cause for stores and turn a tidy profit for itself.
Shea Novakovic, Rossana Mendez, Fort Lauderdale.
• Lady Law Apparel: Having a hard time finding work-appropriate clothing? Try being a female law-enforcement officer. The majority of women's dress pants do not even have belt loops, which makes holsters tricky. Lady Law aims to fill the void by making fashionable and functional clothing, appropriate for standing in front of a judge one moment and seeing enforcement action on the street the next.
David Perez, Doral.
• Marquetta Sports Group: This company produces software to help anyone from coaches to healthcare professionals study and track prospective hires. Designed for handheld devices, the program provides benchmarks and guidelines for rating everything from speed and agility to winning personality traits.
Barry Pokrifcsak, Davie.
• WheelChairTravel.us: Traveling can be challenging enough, but it can be particularly tricky if you are one of the 50 million Americans who have physical disabilities. This online travel site will guarantee room reservations for those with special needs -- from wheelchair ramps to shower bars. The site also will allow users to provide reviews and suggestions.
Robert Holtzman, Miami.
