Student Entrepreneurs Compete With Business Plans, Elevator Pitches in Baylor’s New Venture Competition

February 1, 2019
New venture

This year's finalists will participate in individual coaching sessions, a campus tour of Baylor, feedback sessions and final presentation rounds. During the final rounds, each team will present their business idea and elevator pitch to a panel of judges for evaluation.

Media Contact: Eric M. Eckert, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1964
Follow Eric on Twitter: @EricBaylorU
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by Gabrielle White, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (Feb. 1, 2019) – Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business will host its eighth annual New Venture Competition Feb. 22-23 at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, 1621 S. Third St.

The New Venture Competition is a two-day business plan and elevator pitch competition that showcases collegiate entrepreneurs from across the nation. Students gain personal and professional development through industry-specific mentorship and coaching towards sustainable business plans. Along with this, student entrepreneurs gain exclusive access to accomplished experts and fellow innovators.

“This competition is invaluable for applicants,” said Priscilla James, M.B.A. ’18, program manager of the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship in the Hankamer School of Business. “From the time that they first submit their executive summary to the time that the top 10 leave campus, they are provided valuable feedback from accomplished entrepreneurs. Once on campus, the competitors have the opportunity to network with fellow entrepreneurs, community leaders and company presidents.”

To compete, the teams submit a two-page executive summary. The top 50 teams are then invited to submit a 10-page business plan, and the top 10 teams are selected as finalists to compete in the 2019 competition. The top 10 teams are provided with a mentor, presentation style coaching and feedback sessions.

Monetary and in-kind awards will be given to teams that place first, second or third in the competition. Teams have the chance to win more than $250,000 in cash prizes and vital resources to catalyze and grow their business. Since 2012, the grand prize award has increased from $15,000 to $50,000, and nearly $1 million in cash and prizes has been awarded.

This year’s finalists will participate in individual coaching sessions, a campus tour of Baylor, feedback sessions and final presentation rounds. During the final rounds, each team will present their business idea and elevator pitch to a panel of judges for evaluation. Award winners will be determined and announced at the awards banquet on Saturday evening.

Judges come from different business backgrounds and will include investors, CEOs, experienced entrepreneurs, bankers and Baylor alumni.

2019 Finalist Teams

• Banzo Foods, Ohio University
• Contraire, Oklahoma State University
• FastAuth LLC, University of Pennsylvania
• Feros Freight Innovations, University of Oregon
• GermoSense, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Nanodropper, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
• PillSafe, New York University
• Snipgram, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Synovium, University of Pennsylvania
• Vita Inclinata Technologies, Seattle University

The program first began in 2011 when it was underwritten by an anonymous gift to Baylor University and the Hankamer School of Business. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees must register ahead of time. For more information and to sign up for the event, visit the Baylor New Venture Competition website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business provides a rigorous academic experience, consisting of classroom and hands-on learning, guided by Christian commitment and a global perspective. Recognized nationally for several programs, including Entrepreneurship and Accounting, the school offers 24 undergraduate and 13 graduate areas of study. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.