UK150 Pays $1,000 for Best Student Idea

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 1, 2014) — Student entrepreneurs can win $1,000 for the best idea by competing in UK150, the University of Kentucky’s first online-only student pitch competition. All students have to do is record a 150-second pitch, upload it to YouTube and share it on the UK150 website by Dec. 12.

“One goal of UK150 is to tap into the incredible creativity and innovation of all UK students for at least 150 ideas,” said Dan O’Hair, dean of the College of Communication and Information and founder of iNET, the Innovation Network for Entrepreneurial Thinking, hosted by his college. “We’re also hoping to start some buzz about the fourth annual UK Venture Challenge on March 7.”

Students are responsible for marketing UK150 to other students. iNET’s UK150 partner, Awesome Inc, is organizing the students, who include members of the iNET Entrepreneurial Studies Living Learning Program.

 “We all have ideas for how to make our campus, our job, this world a better place!” said Brian Raney, the iNET Entrepreneur in Residence and founder of Awesome Inc. “Participating in UK150 is ridiculously easy and is an opportunity for students’ ideas to be heard. In just five minutes or less a student can pitch their idea for a chance to win $1,000.”

UK150 is based on 1000 Pitches at the University of Michigan. The iNET Advisory Board heard about the U-M student event last fall from speaker Thomas H. Zurbuchen, U-M senior counselor for entrepreneurship education and space science and aerospace engineering professor, who started the event several years ago. Last year, 5,000 plus U-M students submitted video business idea pitches.

Following UK150, registration opens Jan. 20 for the UK Venture Challenge, to be held on March 7. For Venture Challenge, undergraduate and graduate teams develop their ideas into potential startup ventures, prepare a written proposal, and present their venture to judges from the local entrepreneurial community. The top winning teams — two undergraduate teams and two graduate teams — receive $3,000 in scholarship prizes, and advance to the state competition, Idea State U. UK Venture Challenge is organized by iNET with the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or  ann.blackford@uky.edu