Entrepreneurial students have new opportunity for business model and plan training, start-up money

Posted by
On September 20, 2018

Missouri S&T students with entrepreneurial visions can advance their ideas and win prize money by participating in the Entrepreneur Quest (EQ) Student Accelerator, a new University of Missouri System program that kicks off with an informational workshop presented by Dr. Bonnie Bachman, professor of economics at Missouri S&T, 5:30-7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, in Room G-2 of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IDE).

The EQ Student Accelerator program offers award money from $5,000 to $30,000 based on how far students go in the competition.

Bachman will lead S&T’s EQ Student Accelerator program. Bachman’s educational expertise in entrepreneurship and business launch has come through her leadership and grant awards for the S&T I-Corps Site and Makerspace programs since 2016.

In addition to the informational session, there will be three more optional workshops 5:30-7 p.m. in Room G-2 IDE Building to prepare students to compete:

– Oct. 1 – Business Model Canvas – Bachman, S&T

– Oct. 8 – Essentials of a Business Plan – Dr. Jeff Hornsby, Henry W. Bloch/Missouri Endowed Chair
of  Entrepreneurship; chair and professor, global department of entrepreneurship and innovation,
University of Missouri-Kansas City

– Oct. 15 – Application and Pitch Practice – Hornsby and Bill Turpin, director, Missouri Innovation
Center, University of Missouri-Columbia

“I’m looking forward to helping students bring their ideas for business and STEM innovations to life
with this new program,” says Bachman. “The top 15 S&T participants in the EQ program will have additional opportunities to advance their innovations through the National Science Foundation-funded I-Corps program, and they’ll be able to use our Makerspace facility to build prototypes.”

Undergraduate and graduate students from all majors may apply from Sept. 24 until Oct. 22 with instructions provided at the EQ workshops. Business ideas can include products or services and be nonprofit or revenue generating.

In addition to financial awards, 10 semifinalists from each UM System campus — S&T, MU, UMKC and University of Missouri-St. Louis — will receive an eight-week business model and plan educational program; mentorship from executives, leaders, investors and subject matter experts; and opportunities to participate in pitch and demo competitions.

For additional information, please contact Misty House at housem@mst.edu.

Share this page

mm
Posted by

On September 20, 2018.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *