The team of business students William Guillen, Daniella Ugarte, and Gabriel Mendoza will represent 糖心vlog官网 in the upcoming Arkansas Governor鈥檚 Cup after winning the inaugural StartUp Challenge Competition, presented by the University鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Club (E-Club) during the 2024 Fall Semester.
The Arkansas Governor鈥檚 Cup is an annual collegiate business-plan competition among students from the state鈥檚 colleges and universities. The winning team will be announced during the award鈥檚 competition on April 16 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
The E-Club announced the University鈥檚 StartUp Challenge winner on Dec. 6. The winning team, 鈥淧et Buddy,鈥� took top honors for its concept of taking used clothing items and turning them into pet items such as clothes, toys and beds.
鈥淭hey impressed the judges with their creativity, practicality, and strong potential for success,鈥� said E-Club President Gustavo Lugo.
The other participating teams were 鈥淚ncludify,鈥� with students Maria Cabrera Gonzalez and Jacquelinne Retana Teshe; and 鈥淟脠ONN,鈥� comprised of students Samuel Rockwell, Caleb Gutierrez, and Carol Samaniego. Those teams can also apply to enter the Arkansas Governor鈥檚 Cup competition if they so desire.
Lugo said the E-Club鈥檚 purpose for hosting the StartUp Challenge on campus went beyond the competitive aspect.
鈥淚t was also about preparation and growth,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hroughout the semester, the Entrepreneurship Club organized a series of workshops to equip the teams with the skills they needed to develop their ideas and perfect their presentations. These workshops covered topics such as market research, financial planning, pitch development, and more, and brought in industry experts to guide the students.鈥�
Lugo said one of the highlights for the club last semester was attending a specialized workshop on how to apply for and compete in the Arkansas Governor鈥檚 Cup.
鈥淭he teams had the opportunity to hear directly from competition organizers, past participants, and mentors about what it takes to succeed at the state level,鈥� Lugo said 鈥淭his invaluable experience provided our students with insights into refining their business models and preparing for what lies ahead.鈥�
The judges for the StartUp Challenge included alumna Claudia Porras Scott 鈥�17, director of Kiva NWA and a member of Startup Junkie; Matt Lundy, business consultant at Arkansas Tech University; and Kristopher Adams, program manager at Arise.
The E-Cub advisors are Businesss Professors NaLisa Brown and Dr. Christine McCain.
鈥淲e are very thankful for their guidance and support throughout the planning and execution of the event,鈥� Lugo said. 鈥淭heir mentorship was key to the event鈥檚 success and to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship on campus.鈥�
Nataly Vindas, vice president of the Entrepreneurship Club and program director for the club鈥檚 StartUp Challenge, said organizing the event was 鈥渂oth challenging and rewarding.鈥�
鈥淚 collaborated closely with judges, mentors, and our team to review business plans, coordinate schedules, and finalize event details,鈥� Vindas said. 鈥淚t was incredibly fulfilling to see our hard work come to fruition and watch students confidently present their ideas.鈥�
Lugo said he is proud of his club鈥檚 efforts to serve the Ozarks student body 鈥渁s a valuable resource for all students who are passionate about entrepreneurship.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible to see the ideas and enthusiasm that students bring to the table,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he StartUp Challenge isn鈥檛 just a competition; it鈥檚 an opportunity for students to start thinking big, step outside their comfort zones, and start building something real. I couldn鈥檛 be prouder for what all competing teams did. The StartUp Challenge Competition was a celebration of innovation and collaboration, highlighting the immense potential that exist within our student body. It also marked another important step in building a thriving entrepreneurial community at 糖心vlog官网. Also, I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of all the E-Club executive members too, Nataly Vindas, Estefania Bautista, Eduardo Murillo, Caurthney Noel, and Andres Brown. From their different roles, they all contributed to make this event unique and one of the best ones of the Fall 2024 semester on campus.鈥�
Topics: Business Administration