Media advisory: Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge to award $75,000 to student entrepreneurs from around state
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
WHAT: The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge, a statewide student entrepreneurship competition featuring high school and collegiate teams from across Kansas, will take place Thursday, April 28, at Kansas State University.
The contest is sponsored by the Kansas Masonic Foundation on behalf of all Kansas Masons and hosted by K-State with the support of Network Kansas. It offers $75,000 in prize money to student entrepreneurs who will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges consisting of entrepreneurs, bankers and investment experts in a "Shark Tank"-like environment.
EVENT DETAILS: The competition will get underway at 9 a.m. in the K-State Student Union. An Entrepreneurship Tradeshow will be available from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Union Ballroom. At 3 p.m., a keynote speech will be given by Denzel Goolsby, a Manhattan entrepreneur, K-State alumnus and a former K-State football player and team captain. It will be followed by an awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m.
COMPETITORS: This year's competition features 63 high school-level teams from across the state, including Bucklin Junior High School, Chanute High School, Cheylin High School, Clay Center Community High School, Colby High School, Concordia High School, Council Grove Junior High, Crest High School, Elkhart High School, Ellinwood High School, Fort Scott High School, Girard High School, Goodland High School, Greeley County High School, Hayden Catholic High School, Hays High School, Hillsboro High School, Hutchinson High School, Jetmore High School, Kiowa County High School, Labette County High School, Lawrence Free State High School, Leavenworth High School, Manhattan High School, McPherson High School, Norton High School, Phillipsburg High School, Osborne High School, Pike Valley High School, Riverton High School, Salina South High School, Scott City High School, Smith Center High School, Sterling High School, St. John High School, St. John's Catholic School, Stockton High School, Sylvan-Lucas High School, Wabaunsee Junior High School, Wamego High School, Wichita County High School, Wichita East High School, Winfield High School and Wyandotte High School. Two homeschool teams also are competing.
The competition also includes the following community colleges/tech schools: Cloud County Community College, Coffeyville Community College, Garden City Community College, Highland Community College, Johnson County Community College, Labette Community College and Neosho County Community College.
INTERVIEW SOURCES: Chad Jackson, director of the K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship; Tara Gieber, entrepreneurship instructor and event planner for the center; and Robert Shively, executive director of the Kansas Masonic Foundation, will be available for interviews throughout the day. Interviews with student participants can also be coordinated upon request.
MEDIA RSVP: Media are asked to RSVP to media@k-state.edu or call 785-532-2535 by noon Monday, April 25.
NEWS MEDIA PARKING: Use your K-State media parking pass to park in any nonreserved or nonhandicap student or faculty/staff parking space. If you do not have a pass and require one, let us know when you RSVP. Parking in the K-State parking garage is on a space-available basis and at a fee. Please allow ample time for parking.
