The document summarizes a student pitchfest event at a university where student entrepreneurs presented their business ideas. It provides details on how to organize such an event, including naming the event, selecting finalists, training mentors and judges, setting a budget and prizes, creating submission deadlines, and potentially partnering with an international competition for future events. The event aimed to draw interest from technology-driven business students and promote entrepreneurship.

1. Entrepreneurship
is
Alive
Student Pitchfest draws interest from
technology driven business students
IACBE
April 9, 2014
Dr. Mary Beth McCabe
mmccabe@nu.edu

2. What makes a student
entrepreneur?
 A variety of different skillsets, like a “jack of all trades”
(Lazear, 2005)
 Student entrepreneurs are different. Politis, D,
Winborg, J., Dahlstrand, A. (2012) Exploring the
resource logic of student entrepreneurs.
 Creating entrepreneurs from student scientists (2002)
Tan and Subramanniam. Science and the student
entrepreneur

4. Promotion of event:
earned,
shared and,
owned media.

5. http://youtu.be/tyXyex3zDgI

7. McCabe, left, with judges and finalists

8. How can I create an event
like this at my school?
 Name your Student Pitchfest Event, featuring student
business presentations (3-5 minutes) and create a
depository
 Students submit their business plans and committee selects
finalists
 Train mentor coaches and select judges
 Select Winner/s to feature at future larger event
 Certificates to all who students who presented
 Set your budget: Ours was $600 in prizes. Grand prize team wins
$500, second place $100, Top three teams get 1 year student memberships of
academic organization
 Create realistic deadlines for submission/selections
 Next year, partner with International competition for
winner.

9. References
 Lazear, Edward P, Entrepreneurship (2005). Journal of
Labor Economics, Vol.23(4), p.649-680
 Politis, D, Winborg, J., Dahlstrand, A. Exploring the
resource logic of student entrepreneurs (2012)
International Small Business Journal. Vol. 30(6) pp.659-
683.
 Tan, Leo Wee Hin and Subramaniam, R, Science, Science
and the Student Entrepreneur, 2002, Nov 22, 2002 p.
1556.