Five finalists will compete for top honors next semester in the University of Wyoming College of Business' annual Wyoming $10K Entrepreneurship Competition.
The $10K competition awards $10,000 in cash to an outstanding team of student entrepreneurs that submits a business plan for a new venture showing significant business potential. In addition to the $10,000 first prize, a bonus of $2,500 will be awarded to the first-place team upon approval of their progress report. A second- and third-place team are awarded $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, to establish their business ventures.
The winning student project earns a one-year, rent-free stay in the Wyoming Technology Business Center incubator to get their business started.
The five finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges March 26, at the College of Business. One team will win $1,000 for the best presentation, and another the same amount for the most creative plan.
The competition encourages UW students to act on their talents, ideas and energy to produce tomorrow's leading businesses through a network of students, mentors, investors and potential partners. UW students from all colleges at the undergraduate and graduate levels are encouraged to enter the competition. Multi-disciplinary teams that combine members from across campus are encouraged, which brings together the variety of skills required for a successful venture.
Listed are the five finalists and their businesses:
Ballistic Motion Athletics Inc. -- Zeb Fross, Lost Cabin, computer science, sophomore.
BigStar Livestock Images, LLC -- Kassi Bauman, Cheyenne, animal science senior.
Boost Audio -- Erik Gjording, Gillette, business administration senior.
Weatherization Software Solutions -- Jeffrey Fife, Riverton, accounting senior.
Winters Property Management -- Cory Anderson, Gillette, management senior.
The $10K Competition is sponsored by Carl and Marcia Lee, the Woodson Family Foundation, First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, Venture West and the Wyoming Technology Business Center.
For more information about the competition, visit the Web site https://www.uwyo.edu/10k/ or contact Rachel Stevens in the College of Business Management and Marketing Department, at (307) 766-3124 or e-mail rstevens@uwyo.edu.
Posted on Tuesday, December 22, 2009