University teams named finalists in business plan competition
Of the four Harding University undergraduate teams named among the top12 semi-finalists in the Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup
Graduate and Undergraduate Business Plan Competition, two Harding
teams were announced among the six finalists at the April 7 event and
are now competing for the top cash prize spots to be announced April
20 at the State House Convention Center in Little Rock.
After preparing professional business plans, five Harding teams
submitted their entries in February into the pool of 50 submissions
from nine universities throughout the state. Four Harding teams, The
AgWhey Group, BEAST Technology, Here to Last, and Tuck-In, were
selected among the top 12 submissions and competed in an oral
presentation round April 7 at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock.
Two Harding teams, Here to Last and BEAST Technology, placed in the
top six undergraduate teams to present a 90-second “elevator proposal”
at the April 20 final ceremonies, where they will present the cash
prizes for first, second and third place awards and also the
Innovation and Agriculture awards.
Here to Last, comprised of undergraduate students Carlos Avendano,
Natalie Bucur, Kevin Ganus and Tim Tostige, is a business plan for an
online marriage counseling website, and BEAST Technology, comprised of
undergraduate students Eric Giboney, Frank Bolling and Sean Smith, is
a business plan for portable wind turbines.
The Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup is an annual competition hosted
by the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation that seeks to
encourage an entrepreneurial spirit among graduate and undergraduate
students and recognize them for their initiative and creativity.