Prairie View A&M University students will compete in the seventh annual Texas Christian University’s Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Competition April 21 -22. Presented by the TCU Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, the college business plan competition is unique. “Students must present a plans for a for-profit business that will benefit the community, environment or specific population,” says Elaine Cole, PR, marketing & communications manager in the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University.
Students from 51 universities around the world will compete for over $70,000 in cash prizes and will be judged and mentored by more than 100 business professionals. The competition begins with all teams competing in seven simultaneous flights. Each flight winning team will advance to the finals held Saturday morning. Teams who place second in their flight will compete in a lightning round Friday afternoon. The winners of the lightning round will advance to Saturday’s competition. All remaining teams will compete in an elevator pitch competition Saturday and the winners will be announced that afternoon. The event is open to the public at all stages.
Values and Ventures was co-founded by Dallas real estate and technology entrepreneurs Nancy Tartaglino Richards and Lisa Barrentine of First Preston HT. Cole says previous winners include mattress recycling plants that employ former inmates, affordable banking kiosks for under-served populations and human-powered grain machines for remote areas of Africa. The full schedule of events can be found by visiting www.neeley.tcu.edu/vandv If you cannot make the competition and do not want to miss award announcements, follow the Neeley School of Business on Twitter @NeeleySchoolTCU and search #valuesandventures. You can also visit their Facebook page facebook.com/neeleyschoolofbusinessattcu.