Organizations uniting to offer first Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

NetWork Kansas and the Entrepreneurship Com?muni?ties of Marion and Hillsboro announce their first annual Youth Entre?preneurship Challenge competition March 8.

The event will be in the Wohlgemuth Music Educa?tion Center on the campus of Tabor College. Students from all Marion County high schools are eligible to participate.

The competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the public is welcome to attend.

The competition gives high school students experience in developing a business proposal. To compete, students must research, write and submit an executive summary on a new venture concept.

During the competition students also will have to prepare a table-top display of their concept or product and deliver a 90-second ?elevator pitch? to a team of judges.

?The Marion County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge competition is an opportunity to showcase the tremendous young entrepreneurial talent we have in Marion County,? said Todd Heitschmidt, mayor and e-Community director for Marion.

Upon completion of the first round, three teams will be selected for a final round of competition that will include a five-minute formal presentation of their business plan or concept to the judges and audience.

The students will be judged on the following categories: business plan, product/service knowledge (research and development), market analysis and marketing strategy, financial plan and overall presentation of the contestant or product.

Top presenters will received $750 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place as well as several $100 ?People?s Choice? at the completion of the competition.

The top three teams will be eligible to compete in a statewide competition at Kansas State University, April 25.

?Our ability to host this competition is a direct result of Marion and Hillsboro?s partnership with NetWork Kansas and our status as e-Communities,? said Clint Seibel, economic development director for Hillsboro.

?We appreciate the support of NetWork Kansas and also value the assistance of both Tabor College and Butler County Community College in helping us host our first annual competition,? he added.

The competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, and the public is welcome to attend.

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