Start-up funding to be awarded for Kansas college students in New Venture competition

The Shocker New Venture Competition (SNVC), hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship at 成人头条, inspires Kansas college students to put entrepreneurial principles into practice -- spark an idea, develop a plan, pitch to investors and launch a new venture.

Registered teams will be judged on their ability to succinctly encapsulate their business concept through a market analysis, a clear value proposition and a sustainable competitive advantage.

鈥淭his is a great opportunity for teams to present their ideas in a competitive environment, receive strong feedback and see how ready they are to launch a business,鈥 said Mark Torline, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and chief judge of the SNVC.

Start-up capital will be awarded to the winning teams to aid in the launch of their new ventures. This year, teams participating in the Trade Show will be eligible to receive the People鈥檚 Choice Award, which will be given to the Trade Show team that student judges deem to have the most commercially viable business venture.

The competition began with submissions of applications, which included a three-minute video of the proposal. A selection board moved 32 teams to the next round of competition. Those teams are required to submit a 10-page business plan by April 3.

The Trade Show will take place Friday, April 21, in Charles Koch Arena. The 16 teams participating in the Trade Show will pitch their concepts to more than 100 business leaders.

Six teams will be selected to continue into the final round, 1 p.m. Friday, April 28, in Devlin Hall. The final round is open to the public, with a reception from 4-6 p.m.

Students from all universities and colleges in Kansas are eligible to compete. For more details, go to www.wichita.edu/snvc.

The 2017 SNVC sponsors include Foulston Siefkin, NetWork Kansas, IMA Financial Group, High Touch Technologies, Viaan Electronics, R.D. Henry & Company, INTRUST Bank, Riverside Healthcare Foundation and Lubrication Engineers.

The mission of 成人头条 is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. 成人头条 State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master鈥檚 and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. 成人头条 State鈥檚 Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university鈥檚 vast resources and technology. www.wichita.edu.