The Baruch College Entrepreneurship Competition, now known as the
Baruch College and Merrill Lynch Entrepreneurship Competition, is an annual event that provides an opportunity for Baruch students to participate in an extraordinary learning experience that is at once exciting, educational, and essential to the emergence of innovative new firms.
Teams of student entrepreneurs-in-the-making submit concepts for new ventures - real ideas for real businesses. Over the course of two semesters, they develop their concepts into full-blown business plans leading to the launching of their businesses. Teams compete in one of two tracks: Traditional Entrepreneurship - focusing on profit-making; Social Entrepreneurship - focusing on social benefit.
Teams receive guidance from mentors - successful entrepreneurs, business professionals, and faculty from the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship and Baruch College. Free workshops are designed specifically to help teams carry out the requirements of the competition.
Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishing teams whose ventures show significant potential for business launch. Honorable mention and innovation cash prizes may be awarded as well. The ultimate goal of the competition is for teams to launch their businesses. To that end, up to $50,000 in business startup money may be awarded if merited. Post-competition mentoring leading to launch is potentially available to teams that make it to the finals.
Beyond any awards, participants will gain invaluable experience to carry forward in their careers. They will meet many like-minded students who will become part of their network of friends and colleagues, and will benefit from contact with and the practical expertise of many of our country's leading entrepreneurs, investors, and business professionals
Baruch College students in good academic standing at the junior, senior, master's, or doctoral levels in any discipline in the Zicklin School of Business, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, or the School of Public Affairs, are eligible to participate in self-selected teams. (Students graduating any time during the 2007-2008 academic year are considered to be Baruch students for the competition.)
Teams can include members who are not students at the College, but eligible Baruch students must comprise at least halfof a team's membership. Each team must designate one member as the team leader/contact person and that person must be an eligible Baruch student. No one can be a member of more than one team.
All team members, whether Baruch students or not, must register for the competition.
Students will have an opportunity to ask questions, meet each other, exchange ideas, discover skills and interests, engage in discussions, and take the first step towards team formation. Many mentors, judges, and faculty will attend. You do not need to attend the kickoff to participate, but it is a good idea to do so.
