Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday in the BLUU ballroom, each group will present to a panel of judges their business plan for a values-centered business that seeks to contribute to the health and well-being of specific internal or external stakeholders through its proposed products, services and profits.
The top two winning teams from each of four flights of competitors will advance to the final round Friday, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Smith Hall, rm. 104.
Winners will be announced at an Awards Dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Omni Hotel ballroom downtown. The first place team will receive $15,000 and the second place group gets $10,000 to set their winning business models in action.
Among the universities sending teams are Ball State, Kansas State, Loyola Marymount, NYU, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Arizona. The TCU team will introduce a plan for a workout gym specifically for pre- and post- pregnant women.
Last year’s Grand Prize went to the student team from Belmont University in Nashville for their concept “Mattress Works.” The business provides employment opportunities for the homeless and diverts waste from landfills through deconstructing and recycling used mattresses.
The Values and Ventures Competition epitomizes the Neeley School’s mission – to develop ethical leaders with a global perspective who help shape the business environment – by encouraging student entrepreneurs to recognize and live their own values when creating new enterprises, to champion their desire to do good while doing well.