Twenty semifinalists have been chosen out of 172 entries into the semifinals of the 2011 Student Venture Challenge, sponsored by the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fresno.
These collegiate entrepreneurs will vie to advance to the finals by participating in three workshops and giving a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation about their business idea on April 1.
The competition was open to students from Fresno State and 11 community colleges in the San Joaquin Valley. Of the 20 semifinalists, 16 are Fresno State students, two from Fresno City College and two from College of the Sequoias in Visalia.
After the presentations April 1, five finalists will be chosen to participate in four workshops, write a five-page business summary, and deliver a 15-minute presentation April 30. The winner will earn $5,000 and the runner-up will earn $2,500.
Semifinalists also are competing for a People’s Choice Award, as the student whose business idea video receives the most “likes” on YouTube.
Voting for this award runs March 4 through noon April 29, and the winner will be announced April 30.
“The ‘People’s Choice Award is a significant aspect of the competition,” said Dr. Timothy M. Stearns, executive director of the Lyles Center. “More community involvement will allow us to better understand the public’s perception of the students’ business ideas and how each idea may – or may not – hold up if it launches.”
“To ‘like’ videos, you must be logged in to your YouTube account or use your Gmail account information to log in,” said Stearns.
For a list of semifinalists and other information, visit www.LylesChallenge.com. The challenge also is on Twitter @LylesCenterSVC or Facebook @ Lyles Center Student Venture Challenge.
The competition is sponsored by Spencer Enterprises, Alibaba.com and Bank of the Sierra.
Related link
Lyles Center: www.lylescenter.com
