Business Plan Competition Participants Selected - December 19, 2008
20 Chosen out of Nearly 100 Applicants
The Manchester Young Professionals Network and Southern New Hampshire University will kick-off a 10-week entrepreneurial course January 24
Manchester - The New Hampshire Start-Up Challenge, the collaborative business plan competition and entrepreneurial program The Manchester Young Professionals Network (MYPN) has kicked off with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), has announced the 20 participants who will embark on a 10-week entrepreneurial boot camp and compete to win one of two grand prizes.
Nearly 100 applications were submitted to the competition, which was open to anyone living or working in New Hampshire. After a blind judging process conducted by an outside panel, 20 applicants were chosen for admission into Southern New Hampshire University's Entrepreneurial Institute. The participants, along with their proposed business name, include:
| Individual(s) | Tentative Company Name |
|---|---|
| Andrew Kamensky | SMART |
| Brian Bienvenue | Organic Pizza Place |
| Christina Campbell | Forever Green |
| David Koble and James Koble | Community Habitat |
| Diana Holland, Joelle Sarette, Lucretia Joy | Say It Write |
| Gary W. Hunter | Street School |
| Grace Jenkins and Judy Jenkins | Patches of Wisdom |
| Ian Muir | Tincanio |
| Jennifer Cheifetz | Sugar Mommy |
| Kathryn Saylor and Roclyn Porter | Turning Leaf Psychological Personnel |
| Kathy Berger | HuePhoria |
| Kelley Muir | Float Left Labs |
| Kristi Barry | Project PEP |
| Lovemore Liberty Dhliwayo | Win-Win Transnational Corporation Ltd. |
| Michael J. Turcotte | Turn Cycle Consulting |
| Nicholas Coates and Mark Richardson | Orbial Energy Systems |
| Penny Savage James Ramanek, Michelle Lauer | TACSA |
| Peter T. Lampesis Jr. | Alternative Fuels and Technologies |
| Stephanie Payeur | Lab Tests Direct |
| Suzanne Brown | Granite Spirit Farms and Forests |
"We're thrilled with the response and very much looking forward to kicking off the educational component of the program," said Joe Kenney, MYPN's chair of the NH Start-Up Challenge and vice president of commercial lending at Ocean Bank. "We have an impressive group of inventive and inspiring people who want to become entrepreneurs. Each of them will have access to a high quality program at the Entrepreneurial Institute that will no doubt prepare them for their endeavor."
The two business plan competition winners - one for a for-profit business plan, the other for a social innovation or socially responsible business plan - will each receive $25,000 and a package of in-kind start-up services, including office space, marketing assistance, legal services and accounting services.
"The two winners will receive an impressive prize package that will directly lead to the creation of two businesses in New Hampshire," said Kenney. "Alongside our winners will be 18 individuals who will likely be poised to venture out on their own as well. We're very optimistic about the ability of this program to lead directly to business creation."
Participants will receive training on a variety of topics, including finance, identifying and analyzing the market, building an organization and team and planning for a profitable business. The mini-boot camp will follow the New Venture FastTrac Course by the Kauffman Foundation, the leading entrepreneurship foundation.
Local business owner Bernie Sparks will facilitate the program and SNHU professor Keith Moon will serve as a coach and mentor throughout the program. Other SNHU faculty, along with notable executives and company leaders, will participate in the program sharing both theory and application of successfully starting and running a company.
The Entrepreneurial Institute program will be completed March 28 and by April 25, members of the inaugural class will be required to submit their comprehensive business plans for final judging. The competition's Advisory Board will choose two winners, announcing the selection in early May. A dinner will cap off the program in late May, where the winners will be presented with their prizes.
An impressive Advisory Board has come together to guide the competition and select the winning business plans. Their in-kind and financial support of the New Hampshire Start-Up Challenge has bolstered the stature of the competition. Advisory Board members include: Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire University; Danny O'Brien, President, Ocean Bank; Pat McDermott, Economic & Community Development Manager, Public Service of NH; Joe McQuaid, President, Union Leader; Doug Dean, President, Elliot Hospital; Joe DiBrigida, Shareholder, Sheehan, Phinney, Bass + Green; Travis York, President, Griffin, York & Krause; Donna K. Lencki, Principal, Geneia; Ryan FitzSimons, CEO, Gigunda Group, Inc.; and Kate Benway, Marketing Manager, City of Manchester.