The Center for Entrepreneurship hosted its annual Business Plan Competition last week, allowing nine student businesses to compete for cash prizes in front of a panel of judges.
Ryan Reisdorf took home first place with his business PlaceMat, a wholesome, farm-to-table catering service. The second and third place prizes went to Suzanna Stapler’s Squillustrate and Sarah Beth Perry’s With the Band. Additionally, Karyme Meixueiro Cravioto and Emily Knapp won the People’s Choice Award with their business, Alate.
The competing businesses included:
- Suzanna Stapler: Squillustrate
- Jordon Washington: College in Color
- Emily Knapp and Karyme Meixueiro Cravioto: Alate
- Ryan Reisdorf: PlaceMat
- Bailey Jackson: Felicity and Bliss
- Ernest Walter: Turning Leaves
- Austin Sellinger and Andrew Cranny: Style 12
- Tally Bevis: Octo Music Group
- Sarah Beth Perry: With the Band
Competition judges included Kevin Roddey, senior vice president of Pinnacle Financial, Scott Rouse, entrepreneur and body language expert, Victoria Kopyar, CEO and founder of VK Sport and Belmont Entrepreneur in Residence, Shawn Glinter, CEO and founder of Pendant Biosciences, Inc. and Belmont entrepreneur in residence, Grant Ellis, CEO of Nut Butter Nation and Mark Brooks, Senior Vice President of First Advantage Bank.
Elizabeth Gortmaker, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, said, “The 2018 Business Plan Competition showed the creativity, drive, and passion of our student entrepreneurs. Pitching to a panel of expert judges is no easy task, but these students came prepared to present the businesses they’ve worked so hard to build. The top three prizes (awarded to a dining experience, a branding company, and an app) show the wide variety of ventures our entrepreneurs create during their time at Belmont.”
