UK Venture Challenge Registration Opens for Student Entrepreneurs

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2014) – Registration is now open for the 3rd annual UK Venture Challenge competition. Student entrepreneurs will present their ideas for a new innovation, product or service to a panel of judges at the James. F. Hardymon Theater in the Davis Marksbury Building on March 1. They are competing for $3,000 in scholarship prizes and the right to represent UK at the state competition, Idea State U, in April.

“This is a great opportunity for our students to show off their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit!” said College of Communication and Information Dean Dan O’Hair, host of iNET, the Innovation Network for Entrepreneurial Thinking, which produces Venture Challenge, and co-chair of the iNET Advisory Board.

All undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to compete in one of the four categories: undergraduate business concept, undergraduate business plan, graduate business concept, or graduate business plan. The rules and guidelines for both the required written proposal and the presentation are available at UK Venture Challenge Rules & Guidelines. Written entries are due February 10 to iNET Director Deb Weis.

The public in invited to vote for their favorite venture at the UK Venture Challenge Public Voting website. The top vote-getter wins $50! The public is also invited to attend the presentations on Saturday, March 1, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., at the James. F. Hardymon Theater in the Davis Marksbury Building on Rose Street.

The student teams will be able to practice their presentations at the Hardymon Theater on February 27 from 5 – 6 p.m.

This year’s lead judging panel includes: Lee T. Todd Jr., entrepreneur and former UK president; Alan Stein, entrepreneur, president and CEO of the SteinGroup, and owner of the Lexington Legends and the Omaha Storm Chasers; and Stephanie Herron, entrepreneur and new president and CEO of the Markey Cancer Foundation.

Sponsors are providing $3,000 in scholarship prize money that will be shared by the winning teams. The lead sponsor is the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership, including the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Commerce Lexington, and the University of Kentucky. New sponsors this year are the Gatton College of Business and Economics and the College of Communication and Information.

The UK Venture Challenge competition is organized by iNET, the Innovation Network for Entrepreneurial Thinking hosted by the College of Communication and Information, with the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship / Lexington Innovation and Commercialization Center in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, and the Big Blue Starters student entrepreneur organization.

Media Contact: Deb Weis at debweis@uky.edu