JBU Business Students Sweep Tri-State Governor’s Cup

John Brown University teams took first and second place in the undergraduate division at the 2012 Tri-State Donald W. Reynolds Cup Business Plan Competition held this week in Las Vegas, Nev. In addition, JBU team won the Elevator Pitch Award in the undergraduate division. JBU teams were awarded a total of $52,000 in cash prizes.

The JBU business plans outlined enterprises in paint sample innovation and livestock hydration systems. This is the second year in a row that JBU has swept the competition.

“It’s an honor to work with these students,” said Eva Fast, JBU instructor of business and team advisor. “I’m so proud of their dedication and creativity. Both teams put every ounce of their character, talent, and hard work into this competition and it showed when they stood up to present.”

The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, University of Nevada Las Vegas and University of Nevada Reno were the other schools represented in the undergraduate top six.

The competition requires each team to complete a thorough business plan including a mission, vision, strategy, marketing, financials and investment opportunities for the first five years of business.

Undergraduate first place and Elevator Speech Award: Hydrovate– Tina Funk, Josh Garrett, Amanda Abramovitz and Rolando Ochoa.

Hydrovate offers products that aid the livestock industry by providing improved hydration systems. Hydrovate’s first product, the EcoTrough, is a self-cleaning animal watering device that maximizes animal health and almost entirely eliminates the labor and contamination associated with animal hydration.

Undergraduate second place: Simpler Solutions– Brandon Knight, Shantelle Overby and Jamison Hofer.

Simpler Solutions strives to enhance and simplify the paint sampling process by becoming the leading company for paint sampling innovation. We want to inspire confidence and creativity and provide consumers and manufacturers with a simpler, more innovative and cost-effective method of sampling paint.

Last month in Little Rock, JBU teams took first and second in the undergraduate division at the Reynolds Governor’s Cup statewide business plan competition. JBU teams also won the Innovation Award in the graduate division and the Agricultural Award and the Elevator Pitch Award in the undergraduate division. Their success at the state level made them eligible to compete at the tri-state competition.

More information about the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup competition Business Plan competition is available at dwrgovernorscup.org.

John Brown University is a private Christian university, ranked first among Southern regional colleges by U.S. News & World Report and is listed as one of America’s Best Colleges by Forbes. JBU enrolls more than 2,100 students from 41 states and 44 countries. JBU is a member of the council for Christian Colleges and Universities.