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Willes Center Holds 3rd Annual Great Ideas Video Competition

 The Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship in partnership with Brigham Young University Hawaii has opened applications for its third-annual Great Ideas Video Competition recognizing student entrepreneurs.

The Great Ideas Video Competition is one of two campus-wide business plan events sponsored every year at BYU-Hawaii. It is organized by the Mark and Laura Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship which is committed to providing classes, competitions, and events which teach and encourage entrepreneurship.  Students are given the opportunity to enhance their ability as leaders while learning both business and social entrepreneurship skills.  The event will be held on November 16th and 17th at BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Culture Center and will feature keynote speakers; Fredo Solar, Benoy Tamang, Athelia Woolley Lesuer, and Rich Raddon.

The semi-finalists for this competition will be mentored by members of the Willes Center and have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes totaling $24,000. The winners of this competition will have the opportunity to compete in the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards (GSEA) in Honolulu on January 26th at the Honolulu Design Center as part of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).  The winner of the GSEA competition will have the opportunity to compete in the national competition in Kansas City.  The GSEA finals will be held in Frankfurt, Germany to compete with the world’s top student entrepreneurs and have a chance to win cash and other business services.

Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at BYU-Hawaii or be a North Shore community member.  All submissions should be based on a new venture (i.e., for-profit, non-profit or NGO) that is in the start-up phase and less than 6 months old. Four categories are available for submission; domestic, international, social and community.  Apply at http://willescenter.com/great-ideas-competition/ by October 29th, 2016.


On November 5th, finalists who have submitted a completed application by October 29th, will be contacted to prepare for their final presentation to a panel of judges on November 17th.  During the business pitch, participants will be able to share their Great Idea and also demonstrate the product or service to the judges through video.  There will be a Q&A portion of the competition where judges will be able to interact with participants and ask questions about the business.   

 

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