University of Richmond Undergraduate Business Pitch Competition April 16-17 Receives Record Number of Entries
April 13, 2009
University of Richmond's Entrepreneurship Club and Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will co-sponsor a competition for budding entrepreneurs.
Some 26 student teams--up from 15 last year-will develop pitch ideas for new businesses to a panel of faculty judges. The first and second place teams will receive $2,000 and $500 cash prizes, respectively.
The Robins School of Business faculty believes the increased interest in the competition reflects the economic trend of increased interest in entrepreneurship. The number of students taking in the innovation and entrepreneurship track at the Robins School has increased 33 percent since last year.
The objective of the competition is to encourage students to think entrepreneurially. Each pitch will be measured for concept, clarity, comprehensiveness, realistic implementation and potential value.
The first round of presentations will made to the judges April 16. The top three teams will advance to a final round April 17, to be judged by a panel of outside experts and successful entrepreneurs.
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an interdisciplinary program launched at University of Richmond to develop and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among students, faculty and the business community. Its objectives include:
- Providing a platform for sharing and developing ideas among students, faculty, alumni and the business community.
- Establish programs that encourage participation of students inside and outside the Robins School of Business.
- Offer a high-quality, interdisciplinary program in innovation and entrepreneurship, with the objective of providing students with the skills they will need to recognize opportunities and develop them into value-producing initiatives.
- Support faculty teaching and research regarding the theory and practice of innovation and entrepreneurship.