Fairfield University's Student Business Plan Competition Startup Day Pitch Contest | Press Releases

What: Startup Day for Fairfield University's student Business Plan Competition : Undergraduates will deliver their unique business ideas at this fast-paced event with a pool of $2,000 in prize money at stake. The $2,000 will be split into three prizes: $1,000 to the overall best pitch, and $500 each to two runners up.

Student teams will have just a few minutes to pitch their ideas for new products, services or companies. A team of judges - comprised of business leaders and Fairfield University faculty members - will decide the winners in what is expected to be a crowded and competitive event. It is part of an exciting build-up to the 3rd Annual Business Plan Competition (Fairfield.edu/businessplan) in which students will compete in a finale on April 15, 2014, contending for prizes and sponsorships totaling $20,000.

When: Saturday, November 16. The final pitch presentations will begin at 2:15 p.m.

Where: Dolan School of Business Dining Room, located on the Fairfield campus.

Why: This event is open to any Fairfield University student interested in working on a business plan and who might want to take part in the university-wide Business Plan Competition, which was launched by the Charles F. Dolan School of Business to meet a growing interest in entrepreneurship among students. Students are encouraged to bring their own ideas or join a team. The day will also be an opportunity for students to brainstorm with successful entrepreneurs and Fairfield faculty who will serve as mentors, according to Chris Huntley, Ph.D., associate professor of information systems & operations management, who is helping to organize the competition.

Last year's Startup Day featured a first round in which twenty teams presented their ideas in 30 second pitch presentations. Judges narrowed the field to ten teams who went head-to-head in the final round, pitching their business ideas in two-minute presentations. Students from the Dolan School, the School of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences took part. This year's event will follow a similar format.

Background: The Business Plan Competition has two tracks: a ‘Venture Track' for new businesses with a profit focus, and ‘Social Track' for new organizations with a social mission. Each track competes separately, with its own judges and prize money.

Students behind one of last year's competitors - BluStrip by WattUControl - were recently selected to be one of the first ‘client companies' of the new Fairfield University Accelerator & Mentoring Enterprise (FAME), a business incubator program that is a collaboration with the Town of Fairfield Economic Development Department and Kleban Properties. The hope that students who are passionate about starting businesses will look to FAME (visit www.fairfieldame.org) after graduation as a place to help nurture their business ideas, be mentored by faculty and business people, and meet investors.