“Startup Weber: High School” Contest Helps Student Entrepreneurs

OGDEN, Utah — High school students from all over Utah will present their business ideas to a panel of judges in a competition for a $1,000 startup prize at Weber State University’s Browning Center at 10 a.m. on Dec. 5. Students can register for the contest online until Nov. 18 at 11:59 p.m.    

High schoolers will submit simple introduction videos and brief summaries describing their products, marketing needs, target customers, strategies and company histories. Five finalist teams consisting of one to five members will be selected from those entries to vie for the grand prize. While the first place winner or winning team will go home with $1,000, second place will receive $500 and third place will get $250 to fund their business ideas.

The contest, which is in its first year, is open to all Utah high schools. Students can ask their teachers for help, but only students can apply to the contest and present their proposals.

“We want to let high school students know about the entrepreneurship minor at Weber State University,” said Dave Noack, director of the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center. “Our goal is to make WSU a destination school for entrepreneurs.”

This year, high schools across northern Utah are offering WSU’s introductory-level entrepreneurship course for concurrent-enrollment credit. Noack said the entrepreneurship program wants to create an avenue for high school students to develop and pursue their business dreams.

The contest is sponsored by the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center and the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation. Both organizations want to expand the entrepreneurship program and involve as many students and community members as possible.

The Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center is part of WSU’s John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. The school awards nearly $100,000 in funding to student entrepreneurs every year. The Goddard School is involved with WSU Downtown’s Startup Ogden, which focuses on expanding Ogden entrepreneurial pursuits. Students from all majors can enroll in the entrepreneurship program.

“It’s never too early to pursue dreams or an idea,” Noack said. “We want students to do that here at WSU.”

Visit weber.edu/goddard for more news about the Goddard School of Business & Economics.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
 

Author:

Ivonne Dabb, Marketing & Communications
801-626-7439 • ivonnedabb@weber.edu

 

Contact:

Dave Noack, Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center director
801-626-7253 • davidnoack@weber.edu

Lori Aston, development director
801-626-6079 • loriaston@weber.edu