Engaging the Next Generation of Student Innovators & Entrepreneurs
Gulf Coast State College’s Millaway Institute for Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with FSU Panama City, will host the Millennials’ Pitch Tournament on Saturday, October 17 at 9am at the GCSC Advanced Technology Center. The public is invited to watch local students to pitch their ideas for innovative products or services to area entrepreneurs and judges in a “rapid tournament” format. Individuals and/or groups of students will compete for multiple cash awards (1st place – $250, 2nd place – $150, 3rd place – $100) and mentoring packages. The top ten winners will receive training sessions, product design/prototyping services and follow-up assistance from successful area entrepreneurs.
In order to compete in this free innovation arena, any actively enrolled full or part-time student(s) from GCSC, FSU-PC or any high school located in Bay, Gulf or Franklin counties had to submit an idea for a product or service that:
- Solves a problem in the real-world faced by a business and/or industry today.
- Addresses a social problem facing our community and beyond in a unique or novel way.
- Creates a new product, software program/app or service with the potential to create local jobs.
Participants will be scored on their idea and their presentation, which will give the them another real-world experience: you have to have a good idea and understand how to sell it. All in all, it should be an exciting way to spend a Saturday.
For rules and specific criteria of the contest, visit www.gulfcoast.edu/mie/events.htm. For more information, contact Dr. Stephen Dunnivant at (850) 873-3586 or sdunnivant@gulfcoast.edu.