Eleven finalists were awarded a total of $25,000 in the inaugural New Venture Business Plan Competition held at Baylor on April 14, 2012.

"The inaugural Baylor Entrepreneurship New Venture Competition was a remarkable success," said Kevin Castello, Director of the Baylor Angel Network. "President Starr came and announced our finalists and Dean Maness and Dr. Artz were the presenters for the award ceremony. It is truly wonderful to see entrepreneurship supported at a significant level by Baylor University, the Hankamer School of Business and by our alumni."

The competition is a single-day, dual-round, business plan competition promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. The competition, underwritten by an anonymous gift to Baylor University and the Hankamer School of Business, provides students with expert feedback and the opportunity to win prizes to help fund their ventures.

Congratulations to the 2012 New Venture Business Plan Competition award winners and finalists:

First place and $15,000: Shelby Burford and Cole Chapman, ACTS Peanut Butter

Second place and $5,000: James Gorman and Brian Lovin, LaunchBox

Third place and $2,500: Jake Russell and Luke Russell, Bear Threads

Honorable mention is extended to the following finalists:

• Angela Kumah and Thomas Totoe, AFRICloth
• Sophie Chor, Dalton Goldman and Humza Saleem, CGS Energy
• Benjamin Roberts and Sara Roberts, Giving Husband
• Casey Barillas and Charles Morton, Hypnalogic Media
• Chris Aitken, Tucker Blackledge and Drew Cody, Nova Patria
• Hannah Franzen and Lauren Seibert, Restaurant Zindagi
• McAllister Green and Austin Staats, Room Storage Services
• Garrett Danielson and Alfredo Muskus, WAZO

"Being involved in the first ever New Venture Competition was a thrill," said Shelby Burford, BBA 2010. "Cole and I spent many late nights on Skype-me in Seattle and Cole in Waco-researching, estimating, and writing our business plan, and the lessons learned in the process itself will have lasting benefits. We certainly had some impressive competition, and are humbled and honored to have been selected as the winning venture."

The business plan presentations given last month represent the culmination of approximately 7 months of team preparation for this competition. Initial informational meetings started last October and were followed by multiple training sessions. Executive summaries were due in January with the announcement of the top 50 a month later.

This inaugural competition was limited to Baylor students but will be open to students across the globe next year. Castello added, "As with any entrepreneurial venture, the growth and expansion are coming so watch for future announcements for next year."

For more information about the competition, contact Kevin Castello or visit the competition's web site.

Sean James DelBeccaro, a senior from River Forest, Illinois, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Recreation Ministry, has just been named Outstanding Student in Entrepreneurship for 2012.

DelBeccaro was among 22 graduating seniors recognized for their achievements at the annual W. Dial (Dub) Black, Jr. Hankamer School of Business Senior Appreciation Banquet on April 11, 2012.

This latest achievement simply adds to DelBeccaro's impressive track record for success. During his four years at Baylor, he has been named to the dean's list for academic honors every semester. To be named to the dean's list, a student must be an undergraduate with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7, while enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours.

DelBeccaro was also a member of the 2011-2012 Business Excellence and Scholarship Team. BEST is an accelerated strategic entrepreneurship course for academically superior students. This unique two-semester program provides highly motivated students an opportunity to enhance their professional skills through a combination of teamwork, innovative learning methods, field cases with practicing entrepreneurs, and international experiences.

"I have known Sean since he was an entering freshman, and I have followed his progress through the Entrepreneurship Program for the last 4 years ending with his participation in the Business Excellence Scholarship Team during the past year," said Marlene Reed, DBA, Entrepreneur in Residence. "Sean has been a leader throughout his years at Baylor and a delight to be around. His commitment to entrepreneurship, to his faith, and to his associations with others has been an inspiration to me and other students. We wish him well in his further studies at Truett Seminary."

For more information about the B.E.S.T. program, visit the program's web site.

Baylor Entrepreneurship has long been a pioneer in the world of entrepreneurship education. Our success is largely due to the resources provided through our many alumni and educational partnerships. We are so grateful for these relationships and invite you to contact us if you are interested in joining us on our collaborative journeys.

Contact us at Entrepreneurship_Enews@baylor.edu.