Winner of the Sea Island Bank venture panels…
On Monday 15th November the undergraduate New Venture Planning business panels were held in Sea Island Bank’s board room in downtown Statesboro. Three teams presented from 3:30pm through to 6:30pm. The venture panels included the submission of a two-page executive summary, a 15 minute presentation about the venture idea and the business proposition and a 30-40 minute interview that tested all aspects of the business plan.
The first team EZ Design presented “…an innovative, new web-based home design software program offering consumers interested in home design an easy and inexpensive way to design their living space”. The concept included a Smartphone application, contract agreements with home furniture and home improvement retailers and ultimately in-store kiosks. The venture panel was particularly impressed with the team’s poise during the interview process and their knowledge of all aspects of the business. The team included Frances Anthony, Andrew Southerland and Portia Dickson.
The second team Evergreen Outdoors presented their business proposal “…a retailer providing recreational products and services for outdoor recreational needs that sell only eco-friendly merchandise based on recycled and environmentally friendly materials”. The team presented a 1600sq.ft fixed retail shop in Vail Village, Colorado and online retail solution. The venture panel expressed positive comments about the team’s presentation and especially their entrepreneurial skills demonstrated in getting a canoe up to the third floor of the bank without getting arrested. The team included Sarah Hager; Matthew Chambers; Adam Wood and Steve Carbone.
The final group Effectual Promotional Products proposed a business in the promotional products industry that “…provides innovative, attractive and eye-catching promotional products for promotional products distributors.” Some of their products included washable, re-freezable ice cubes, USB pens and putting mats. Members of the venture panel expressed particular admiration for the way in which the team explained a complex business idea and for the quality of the two page executive summary they produced. The group included: Trent Lewis; Daniel Willett; Ross Foskey; Adam McBain.
The Center for Entrepreneurial Learning & Leadership is very grateful to Sea Island Bank who have sponsored, tutored and hosted this New Venture Planning course this semester, particularly Darron Burnette, Julie Franklin, Adrien Spandle, Steven Sanders and William Mitchell who have coached the student teams.
We are also extremely appreciative of the venture panel members who gave up their time to judge the students including: Lori Durden (SBDC); Wendy Denton (Sea Island Bank); Laura Wheaton (Brown Rowntree PC), Bryce Bunting (Advanced Valve & Instrument Inc.) and Russell Rosengart (Statesboro Sonic).
AND the winner was EZ Design who are now the proud owners of three Sea Island Bank fold-out chairs.
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