Outdoor Weber Announces Top 10 Finalists in Outdoor Idea Pitch Competition
OGDEN, Utah – After two weeks of entrepreneurial hustling and more than 130,000 online votes, a panel of industry judges selected the top 10 finalists in the second annual Outdoor Weber pitch competition, hosted by Weber State University’s Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center and sponsored by Camping World Holdings®.
The competition invited college students to create videos pitching outdoor-related business ideas for a chance to win a grand prize of $45,000 and one-on-one mentoring from entrepreneurship experts. The public’s popular vote and regional judges determined the top 35 competitors, and a panel of national judges selected 10 finalists.
“It is exciting to see the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that the students bring to the competition,” said Brandon Stoddard, Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center director. “This year, the quality and variety of ideas really impressed me.”
The competition attracted 87 entries representing 26 majors from 34 colleges and universities around the country. Two of the 10 finalists were selected from Weber State. Kenneth Burton’s Pocket Pot idea pitch is a company that specializes in lightweight minimalist gear while Tyler Bone’s Hammock Tunnel idea is a tent that works seamlessly with a hammock.
The next phase of the competition is a three-day retreat to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain resorts in northern Utah’s Ogden Valley, March 20-23. Finalists will work with renowned experts to improve their business plans, making their final presentations to a panel of judges on Friday, March 22. The winners will be announced at the concluding keynote event that will feature Ryan Holiday, bestselling author, media strategist and entrepreneur, at the Ogden Eccles Center later that evening. Tickets to the keynote event cost $7 and can be purchased at outdoorweber.org.
While the finalists work on refining their ideas over the three days, the first Outdoor Weber Film Festival will kick off the public events at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. The festival will feature world-renowned surfer, journalist and environmentalist Steve Hawk as he discusses journalism, the environment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the outdoors. His speech will be followed by the screening of both “Elemental” and “Mountain,” a dazzling exploration of our obsession with mountains.
Tickets for Wednesday’s event cost $7. Tickets for both Wednesday’s and Friday’s events are available at a discounted $10 at outdoorweber.org.
For more information and to see the full list of finalists, visit outdoorweber.org.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Ross Rosier, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • rossrosier@weber.edu- Contact:
Brandon Stoddard, Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center director
801-626-7205 • brandonstoddard@weber.edu