A trio of Allen Community College students were up to the challenge last week — an entrepreneurial challenge.
Paulia Ard of Moran took home first place in the school’s Allen Entrepreneurial Challenge.
The event required students to submit an executive idea for a potential business in January, then to make a presentation on that idea last Tuesday to a group of judges from the community.
Ard was followed by Lungelo Masis of Johannesburg, South Africa, in second and Bailey Cravens of Claremore, Okla., in third.
Ard presented an idea for a plant cafe. Masisi presented a custom-made fashion design company with an online magazine. Cravens presented an indoor/outdoor wedding venue.
“The judges were wowed by the ideas,” noted Josiah D’Albini, Allen’s director of student life.
The students received cash prizes.
This was the first ever year for the Allen Entrepreneurial Series, which also consisted of an “elevator challenge” in October, requiring students to give a quick pitch on a business idea to two different groups, one a batch of professional judges from the community; the other a group of high school students.
Fourteen Allen students took part.
“With this being our first year of the series, both Nicci Denny and I believe this will quickly grow over the coming years,” D’Albini said.
Any Allen student enrolled in at least nine credit hours will receive assistance in applying for the Kansas Entrepreneurial Challenge that takes place at K-State in April, courtesy of several corporate sponsors from the area, D’Albini noted.
