On November 1st, EPIC Residential College students and faculty gathered for a $20 Business Bear Challenge. EPIC@Bear teams started a business with only an Andrew Jackson and a month to discover, build and market their ideas. Why only $20 and a month?
According to Dr. Dan Fisher, Associate Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the EPIC@Bear faculty mentor for this event, this model “forces people to make their ideas tangible and take them to market so they can quickly and cheaply learn about what works and what doesn’t.”
Teams completing the challenge were Kallie’s Kards, led by Kallie Benedict and Purple Pride Photography, led by Zachary Hull. Both teams were composed primarily of freshman and sophomore students, greatly impressing the judges with their poise and professionalism. “The transformation in just one month was incredible to watch,” says Fisher.
Dr. Ron Duggins (Assistant Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship), Mr. Bill Doshier (Marketing & Management Executive-in-Residence) and College of Business Dean Michael Hargis served as judges for the event. The Norris Taylor Residential College Fund provided cash awards to the businesses based on research, presentation, and potential.
Picture L to R: Bill Doshier, Kaleb Posey, Zachary Hull, Ron Duggins, Abbey Fletcher, Dan Fisher & Michael Hargis. Team member not pictured is Valentin Sawadogo