A business plan competition that engaged 36 entries from three states concluded on Thursday, April 6, with the announcement of winners in the 2023 Arkansas Tech University High School Business Challenge.
The team championship went to Team Co-Go, which consisted of Emma Mitchell and Skyler Wooldridge from Rison High School. Their business idea was to develop a college preparatory program that would help high school students efficiently meet deadlines related to the college application process.
Mitchell and Wooldridge received a $500 cash prize and each received a $1,000 scholarship to ATU in recognition of their victory.
Tibor Hollman of Joshua, Texas, claimed the individual title with a business plan entitled “Jerry’s Tech Team.” A senior at Joshua High School, Hollman’s concept was to sell customizable school spirit items with a goal of generating the funds necessary to construct a statue dedicated to Jerry the Bulldog, ATU campus ambassador, on the Arkansas Tech campus in Russellville.
Hollman, who plans to enroll at ATU for fall 2023, received $500 cash and a $3,000 ATU scholarship with his award-winning concept.
Second place in the team competition and a prize of $250 cash went to Team Easy Education from Mountain Home High School. Team members were Kylie Andrews, Jacob Cottengim, Jackson Jones and Cadence Webster.
Madison Rodriguez of Dardanelle High School collected second place in the individual category with her concept entitled “White Oak Mountain Tour.” She received $250 cash and a $2,000 ATU scholarship.
Daniel Antonino of Russellville High School finished third in the individual competition with his concept entitled “Vis Veris.” He received a $1,000 ATU scholarship.
Of the 36 teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas that entered the 2023 ATU High School Business Challenge, 12 presented their concepts during the competition finals at ATU’s Doc Bryan Student Services Center Lecture Hall. Criteria for judging included the team’s or the individual’s business start-up or expansion idea, their presentation organization and structure, their marketing plan, the potential for profitability, their ability to address and obtain resources, their professionalism and their ability to provide quality answers to questions.
Ronda Hawkins, director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center regional office at ATU, Thomas Pennington, professor of legal studies in the ATU School of Business, and Dr. Stephen Jones, professor of management in the ATU School of Business, served as judges.
Winners were announced by Dr. Russell Jones, dean of the ATU College of Business and Economic Development.
Students from Mount Ida High School and Riverview High School as well as additional teams from Mountain Home High School, Dardanelle High School and Rison High School also reached the finals of the 2023 ATU High School Challenge.
This year marked the 11th edition of the ATU High School Business Challenge, which is administered by the ATU College of Business and Economic Development and sponsored by Farm Bureau of Pope County, Textbook Brokers and the ATU School of Business.
Visit www.atu.edu/business to learn more about the ATU College of Business and Economic Development.
