The final phase of the New Business Venture Competition at Northern Michigan University will be held on Thursday, March 31. It features three components: a trade fair display from 1-2 p.m.; a 60-second elevator pitch presentation from 2-2:15; and an oral presentation of business plans from 2:15-3:45 and 4-5:30. All are open to the public and will take place in the Explorer Rooms of the University Center. 

The NMU College of Business encourages entrepreneurial activism among all students by recognizing and rewarding those who present detailed plans for new business enterprises, drawing on their own ideas and inventions or those of others.

The 2016 finalists and their proposals are: Rheta and Marshall Mering, Go Energy Breath Spray, energy in a spray bottle; Omar Sitto, Superman’s Kitchen, a healthy fast-casual restaurant; Mislande Merine, APPetite, a mobile app to help eliminate food waste; Logan Stauber, Upscale Energy Solutions, data-driven energy optimization solutions; Brett Etengoff, The 906 Collective, bringing handcrafted, affordable art to the live music scene; and Gisele Duehring, Here Comes the Sun, non-profit fundraising for storm relief-emergency response efforts.

A judging panel will determine the winners of cash prizes and/or consultation package awards based on the plans’ viability and presentation. The winners will be announced at the closing reception from 6-7 p.m.

The trade fair activity allows students to create a visually engaging display of prototypes and or informational materials for their products or services. The 60-second elevator pitch requires one representative to persuasively describe the business with the goal of securing financial backing. The oral presentations allow 20 minutes to describe the plan and 10 minutes for judges’ questions. The winners will be announced at the end of all activities.

The New Business Venture Competition is supported in part through an endowment created by two NMU alumni: Ervin Kranberg, class of 1971; and E.J. Kostreva, class of 1993 and Northern Michigan Bank executive vice president. Business consultation awards are provided by 906 Technologies Inc.; Kendricks, Bordeau, Adamini, Greenlee & Keefe, PC; Grandchamp, McBride and Prophet, CPA; and QuickTrophy.

For more information, contact the NMU College of Business at 227-2947 or bizdean@nmu.edu.