Rowland

by KRISTIN LARMORE
Intern News Reporter

The Center for Entrepreneurship will host the annual “Pitch Your Idea in 90 Seconds” contest Oct. 24 and invites all full-time students to sign up and present their business ideas.

Only the top 20 ideas will be chosen to participate in the event, and each student will have 90 seconds to present their idea in front of a potentially large panel of successful entrepreneurial judges, according to the Appalachian News Web site.

Mission House Creative, a marketing and communication firm based in Raleigh, is sponsoring the event and is donating $1,000 to the grand prize winner.

The second-place winner will receive $500, and the third-place winner will receive $250.

Julia A. Rowland, assistant director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, said she expects between 200 and 250 students to submit a business idea.

Last year, only about 150 students applied, so the ideas must be very developed to receive consideration, she said.

Competition has increased and the center would like to see a lot of non-business majors participate because entrepreneurial experience is a helpful tool for many different majors, Rowland said.

Art majors, for example, might want to start their own art gallery and need to know where to start, and the Walker College of Business now offers a minor in entrepreneurship for non-business majors, she said.

“We really are striving to get outside the College of Business,” Rowland said. “There are a lot of creative people out there.”

Sophomore hospitality and tourism management major Kelly D. Penick is president of the Association of Student Entrepreneurs.

She participated in the contest last year as a freshman and encourages students to create a trust factor with those already in the business.

“If you are truly passionate about any idea you have, push it as far as you possibly can…if you can express that idea to adults…it will more than likely take that idea to fruition,” she said.

Penick said she did not know about the pitch until last minute at her first club meeting, but she submitted her idea anyway.

Even if students are not the best speakers, she said if they have done some work and planning and have futuristic thinking skills, they might have an idea they can take forward.

Rowland said the experience would be good for any college student, regardless of age. “As early as you can get this type of experience, the better,” she said.

Penick said she was very impressed with the number of applicants last year and the caliber of students’ ideas, and some of those who participated, including her, are now part of a mentoring program in the business department.

The program matches 10 specially chosen students with an entrepreneur in the area to help them network in the industry.

Penick said she hopes there will be strong representation from the Student Entrepreneurs and is planning to push participation at club meetings.
Submissions for the contest are due Sept. 29, and the 20 winners will be notified by Oct. 7.

They will be able to attend one or two workshops to teach them how to present a pitch effectively before the contest.

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