BLACKSBURG – VT KnowledgeWorks hosted its ninth annual Global Entrepreneurship Challenge Semifinals at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center on April 12. The Challenge provided a unique opportunity for student teams from Virginia Tech to present their business concepts before a panel of local business leaders.
The grand prize of $15,000 in scholarships was awarded to College Dough, which included team member Danielle Jeffers. Her prize package included the $5,000 VT KnowledgeWorks Information Technology Award for the most outstanding intangible product or service. In addition, she was awarded another $10,000 in scholarship assistance.
College Dough is an all-in-one resource for students who are applying for scholarships to attend the college of their choice. Students can meet all deadlines with its project management system, find new scholarships in its database, and improve the quality of their submissions with its how-to library. College Dough is the perfect resource for students who want to earn scholarships, eliminate loans, and explore life! Danielle will also advance to the VT KnowledgeWorks Global Student Entrepreneurship Challenge on August 24, 2017, where she will compete on a world stage as teams pitch their business ideas for a $25,000 grand prize.
The $5,000 Plastics One Advanced Manufacturing Award for the most outstanding tangible product went to Bar None Insulated Apparel, represented by Chad Nexon and John Hearney. Bar None Insulated Apparel is a revolutionary clothing insulation start up, utilizing bio-mimicry to keep extremities up to three times as warm as today’s best insulation.
Audience members selected their favorite student team to win the People’s Choice award of $5,000 in scholarships, generously sponsored by the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business. The winning team of the People’s Choice award was Tech Wound Solutions, which included team members Juliana Downey, Tucker King, Elisabeth Rebholz, and Kimberly Wyluda. Tech Wound Solutions has created Kare Powder: a topical, advanced wound care dressing that enables faster and more effective healing for chronic wound care patients.
Other teams that competed in the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge Semifinals included BioactiVT and RheoPrinter.
“Congratulations to our winners,” states Jim Flowers, executive director, VT KnowledgeWorks. They have exciting prospects, both personally and professionally. But, just as important, the overall competition was outstanding. According to our judges, and based on follow-up inquiries by local investors and entrepreneurs, we have possibly identified several viable startups for our region.”
For more information contact Jim Flowers at 540-443-9100, ext. 1.
