WSC Group, an incubator company started by two former TD Ameritrade employees, has launched CrowdPicks.com, a social networking sports website in beta.
CrowdFilter, one of the featured applications at CrowdPicks.com, allows its members to create customizable searches using multiple variables. Crowdfiller is a “first of its kind” web-based app that allows the site’s members to search the CrowdPicks prediction database–to create user-defined, aggregate game score predictions.
WSC Group was started by two former TD Ameritrade employees: Jeff Murnane, Director of Competitive Intelligence and Cassius Almeida, Senior Product Manager. Both were invited into the Scott Technology Incubator and Transfer Center, where they currently base their operations.
CrowdPicks.com is a place where sports fans can discuss and exchange ideas in a community setting where their sports credibility is on display. Members make predictions or “picks” on various sports, such as NFL, NBA and NASCAR, and they can track performance across several different categories. By using a proprietary scoring engine, members can assess and display performance, represented by a “CrowdScore” and a unique sport avatar.
CrowdPicks will leverage user-generated content including blogs, news links, team and game messages, live game chat, public and private messages to provide the community with updated information on their favorite sports and teams. The image-rich environment and virtual rewards keeps members fully engaged and returning to track their own and their friends’ CrowdScore.
One of the unique aspects of CrowdsPicks is the company’s decision to share revenue back with their member base–revenue sharing is based on various factors including member page views and CrowdScore performance. The member’s CrowdScore performance will encourage and reward each member to generate more original content and drive traffic to the site.
The Scott Technology Transfer and Incubator Center was developed by the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation (a public, non-profit foundation). The Scott Technology Center is designed to facilitate partnerships targeting engineering and information technology. The Scott Technology Transfer and Incubator Center is based in Omaha, Nebraska.