The deadline for the LaunchU competition, an event hosted by Enactus’ Bring It Chatt, has been extended to Jan. 31. LaunchU involves students pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges and competing to win up to $5,000 to help with their proposed projects.
Enactus President Ashley Blake, a senior accounting major, said the goal of Bring It is to help student entrepreneurs on campus, which is why the group started LaunchU with funding from COLAB Inc., a company that works with entrepreneurs.
“A lot of people think that you have to actually have a business to pitch for this, but you really don’t,” Blake said. “You can literally apply with just an idea that you have. But I will say that once you apply, you have to put a pitch together — you have to kind of get a business plan. Otherwise, you’re not going to be able to present.”
Blake added that things will be a bit different this year due to COVID-19.
“Any judges we have, I think they’re going to have to be virtual,” Blake said. “I’m sure the audience will be down; so if anything, it might be less nerve racking for the presenters since there’ll be less people.
Business management major Dylan Anderson, who is also the project head of Bring It, describes himself as a passionate advocate of entrepreneurship who is very excited about LaunchU.
“LaunchU is a perfect opportunity to help students who have an idea build on that idea and implement that idea in today’s business world — making sure that it’s relevant and that it’s realistic,” Anderson said. “And they have mentors who can help them come up with feasibility analysis and SWOT analysis and everything.”
With the signup deadline on Jan. 31, the main LaunchU event will take place on March 9, with workshops and preparation happening in between the two dates to help prepare the contestants.
“I love hearing people talk about their business, so I’m really excited to see what the students will come up with this year,” Anderson said.
