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Student Entrepreneurs Get Expert Advice on Business Ideas

Meredith’s Social Entrepreneurship Challenge is both a competition and a learning opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students interested in starting their own businesses. Semi-finalists participated in a Speed Pitch workshop on March 20 to help prepare for the next stage of the competition.

Student entrepreneurs were organized into groups to meet with women business leaders who were serving as mentors. Each semi-finalist spent five minutes with each mentor and with Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Nathan Woolard. The workshop also included a keynote talk by Michelle Rich Goode, ’73, founder of Rich Commercial Realty.

A combination of women executives, Meredith alumnae with business ownership experience, and friends of Meredith with business ownership experience served as judges and mentors for the MSEC.

The event concluded with a presentation by student mentors Christina Cowperthwait, ’19, and Sydney Spadaro, ’19. The student mentors are in Meredith’s 4+1 MBA program and are minoring in entrepreneurship and family business. They both participated in the challenge last year and have played important roles in this year’s competition.

The purpose of the workshop was to help competitors prepare for the “Shark Tank” style pitch competition, during which winners will be chosen.

The top three will be announced at the Community Showcase on Wednesday, April 10 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Johnson Hall Rotunda. Campus community members are invited to view poster presentations and speak with the student entrepreneurs about their projects during the Community Showcase.

Learn more about the entrepreneurship challenge

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu