Flush Forward

Aqua Mizer, a toilet products firm run by seasoned executives Mike Sisti and Dave Seaman, has been schooled.

But in this case that's not a bad thing. Instead, the Sarasota-based company's business plan was a class project for M.B.A. students at Northern Illinois University in the summer semester. The 14-student class, comprised mostly of working professional adults, broke into four teams and picked apart Aqua Mizer's business model, marketing strategy and operations. The students presented their reports in a Shark Tank-like competition at the end of the class.

Aqua Mizer developed a series of patent-pending retrofitted toilet-based products that reduce water usage in toilet bowls without impacting performance. One part regulates water that refills the bowl after a flush. Other products prevent and reduce leaks. No special tools are required for installation, say Aqua Mizer executives, and the system, which starts at $25, fits into an existing toilet.