PULLMAN, Wash. – Students recently showcased their entrepreneurial ideas and business planning acumen before panels of academics and real-world industry professionals at the Washington State University College of Business’ 12th Annual Business Plan Competition.
“It is rewarding to see students developing their own business ventures that can be turned into economic vitality,” said Eric R. Spangenberg, college dean. “Training future business leaders who have the technology transfer and entrepreneurial skills to transform lives across the globe is core to our land-grant mission.”
The winning university team, Ze-hunterS, received $15,000; the winning high school team, Art by Chelsea from Spokane, Wash., earned $5,000.
Ze-hunterS – from WSU’s international partnership with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, China – won with their FunMi e-board; it allows users to operate a touch screen anywhere, including on ordinary white walls.
“Ze-hunterS stood out in that they are already marketing an exciting technology, which they conceived and built,” said Pat Murphy, CEO of Vega Performance Marketing and competition judge. “The competition showcased the value and international scope of the entrepreneurship program at WSU.”
Other teams were from Tanzania, Switzerland, WSU and regional high schools. The competition was hosted by the WSU Department of Management, Information Systems and Entrepreneurship.
For more information, visit http://www.business.wsu.edu/businessplancompetition2014 or contact Marie Mayes, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, at mmayes@wsu.edu.
Winners:
College League
First place: Ze-hunterS (China), FunMi e-board.
Second place: Mobile Foam, foam building kits for international relief construction.
Third place: Fly Safe, reliable airspeed sensor for safer air travel.
Fourth place: Salud!, single-serve cocktail machine.
Fifth place: Northwest Engineering Curricula, high school STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curricula .
High School League
First place: Art by Chelsea, customizable acrylic artwork.
Second place: Rocky Mountain Hostel, youth hostel in Salt Lake City.
Third place: Paintball, indoor paintball facility in Pullman.
Fourth Place: Green Scapes, landscaping company that provides off-season home maintenance and summer vacation home monitoring services.