Franz Center
April 26, 2017
A virtual farmers market. A new way to store and charge your smart phone. A program which makes learning math fun for high school students. Low glycemic snack bars for diabetics. These are just a few of the business ideas which will be presented by promising entrepreneurs competing in the Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation’s annual $100K Challenge Venture Competition, at the University of Portland on Saturday, April 29.
A record 36 teams will compete in the Challenge this year. Entrepreneurs will present their ideas and their business plans in the categories of For-Profit Venture or Social Enterprise (Non-Profit). A new entrepreneurial category this year is Biomedical, featuring the business concepts of three students who are pursuing the University’s Master of Biomedical Engineering degree.
Also new this year is a new Challenge track focused on Invention, allowing students to highlight a product they developed through the InventOR Statewide student invention program.
The competition provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback from experts in the entrepreneurial community, win monetary prizes, and acquire legal, accounting, and other services that will help advance an idea to the next stage in the entrepreneurial process. Judges include industry leaders from around the Portland Metro area, including representatives from corporations, foundations, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and startups.
The event is free and open to the public. Presentations will be held in Franz Hall on the University of Portland campus (5000 N. Willamette Blvd.). Preliminary rounds start at 9 a.m., with the finals round from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Invention round will take from from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. A reception and announcement of winners takes place from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Prizes include $1,250 for first place (for-profit and non-profit); $750 for second place (for-profit) and $250 for third place (for-profit). Sponsors include LivePlan, Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, Klarquist Sparkman LLP, AARP Foundation, Portland Business Journal, and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN).
About the Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation
The Franz Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation supports all University of Portland students in the development of leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation skills, knowledge, and mindsets. The Franz Center helps students learn how to make ideas happen, create new business models and plans, develop innovative projects, and think outside the box. It has been ranked consistently among the top entrepreneurship programs nationally and is recognized for its outreach to and partnerships with Portland’s business community.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
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