Meredith College Hosts 2025 Entrepreneurship Challenge

Fifty-two Meredith College students participated in the two-day 2025 Entrepreneurial Challenge, hosted by the School of Business. 

The event kicked off on Friday, February 28, with a pizza party, during which the challenge topic was revealed. Many students anticipated a traditional challenge, such as a detailed case study. Instead, they were presented with a single, open-ended challenge: addressing loneliness. 

“It was nerve-wracking at first to have so much freedom to solve the problem but then it was exciting because we could go in any direction we wanted,” said Aniston Sennett, ’25.

At the start of the main event on Saturday, March 1, Dr. Sarah Glova, founder of Reify Media and NC Women Business Owners Hall of Fame inductee, delivered a keynote address drawing from her extensive research on goal achievement and professional development. Other community entrepreneurs in attendance included the CEO & Founder of SenterME Charlotte Louis, the Director of the Entrepreneurship Clinic at NC State Haley Huie, and the Programs & Community Manager at Council for Entrepreneurial Development Preet Mankad. 

“The authenticity of the speakers and community entrepreneurs gave the students the confidence to explore. They embodied the idea that learning happens through action, by showing up, trying, pushing boundaries, and sometimes failing,” said Molly McKinley, entrepreneur-in-residence at Meredith and founder of Redtail Creative.

Students then had tight time constraints to brainstorm solutions and create a marketing plan before delivering five-minute pitches. The process mirrored the high-pressure environment entrepreneurs often face in the real world. 

Surprisingly, participants found the fast pace conducive to creativity and innovation. 

“A time crunch is make or break. It adds pressure in the best way,” said Victoria Kopitsch, ’25, who placed in the competition. “You have to follow your gut and make the best decision with the time you have. It’s so chaotic that you come up with better ideas than you would if you had more time.”

Preparation Yields Results

The winning team, consisting of Sennet, Bridget Rowe, ’26, and Lizzy Smith, ’25, demonstrated exceptional preparation and teamwork. After receiving the challenge topic on kick-off night, they immediately gathered to brainstorm until 9 p.m.

“We worked for four hours on the first night because of the limited amount of time on the second day,” said Sennett. “We coordinated our outfits, knew our roles, and planned ahead.”

Smith commented on how they worked as a team to tackle the challenge. “We each took individual time to write down what we wanted to focus on,” she said. “When we came together to share our ideas, we had all written about the elderly, and one person said something about animals. So we combined the two.”

The trio proposed a mobile service, Seniors & Strays, to transport suitable shelter animals to senior living facilities. When asked if they might pursue their winning concept, Smith said it was a possibility. “I think it could be a viable business. I can definitely see it happening.”

The second- and third-place teams developed a volunteer matching service to connect young people with senior citizens in need of assistance with various tasks and an app designed to help elderly individuals connect with others with similar interests.  

Building Lifelong Career Skills

Huie explained that students could use the skills they applied to the challenge throughout their careers. “The skills and the mindsets that they used and held this weekend are the things that last over the course of a career. Tackling a major social issue can be a helpful lens through which to consider how they can impact change in their communities.”

The Entrepreneurship Challenge exemplifies Meredith’s commitment to preparing students not only with theoretical knowledge but with practical experience in innovation, collaboration, and resilience, skills that will serve them well regardless of their chosen career paths.

Kimberly Burke, dean of the School of Business, highlighted the lasting impact of these types of events. “The Entrepreneurship Challenge equips our students with critical skills that extend far beyond business creation,” she said. “The ability to identify problems, collaborate across differences, and develop creative solutions under pressure are exactly the competencies employers seek. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, we’re preparing our students not only for their first jobs but for the careers of the future that may not even exist yet.”

This article was written with contributions from Molly McKinley.