The region’s most promising young entrepreneurs will compete for $15,000 in cash awards during the fifth annual student business plan competition conducted by the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fresno.

Each team gets 10 minutes to pitch their idea to a judging panel.

The finalists in the event Saturday, May 1, earlier competed with more than 20 students pitching their ideas to founders, directors and CEO’s of central San Joaquin Valley businesses, venture capitalists from the Bay Area and experts in technology and product development.

The five finalists:

  • Simple Solar Cleaning Systems™ − An automated cleaning system specifically for residential solar panel installations. Founding team members are Dirk Johnson, Ben Nagels and Adam Shor of Fresno State. Info:www.simplesolarcleaning.com
  • PenGuin Boards™ − An online skateboard brand operating since 2005 that sells and distributes premium skateboards that can be ordered from a cell phone. Founding team members are Tyler Hawe and David Hoff of Fresno State.
  • El Colegio Taco™ − A mobile food service vendor that provides nutritious, fresh, made-to-order tacos for evening students, faculty and staff on community college campuses. Founding team members are Pheng Vue, Marisela Hamm and Dante Delt of Fresno City College.
  • Emerging Market Exchange™ − A Web-based company providing an electronic marketplace where undercapitalized and nonperforming companies can list their company for sale confidentially and professionally. Founding team members are Adam Mortanian and Jake Jacobson of Fresno State. Info:www.emexc.com
  • Community Fun Pack™ − A fundraising company that uses local coupon pack sales to empower nonprofit organizations to meet and exceed fundraising needs. Founding team members are Bryce Majors and Kirk Nagamine of Fresno State. Info: www.communityfunpack.com

The winner collects $10,000, the runner-up $3,500 and third place $1,500. The winner also gets a space in the Lyles Center Hatchery to house their business and intensive mentoring and other assistance from Lyles Center staff, university faculty, community leaders and entrepreneurs.

The winning team will represent the Lyles Center in the Draper Fischer $250,000 National Business Plan Competition in May.

The competition, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 12:30 p.m. May 1 at the Leon S. and Pete P. Peters Educational Center in the Fresno State Student Recreation Center (Shaw and Woodrow avenues).

Students in the Lyles Center’s Entrepreneurship Mentorship Program organized this year’s competition and raised $15,000 for the cash awards. The competition, said mentorship student Kevin Perkins, “allows students to demonstrate their leadership skills and share their visions for creating new jobs in the Central Valley.”

For more info, call 559.294.2045 or visit www.lylescenter.com.