Press Release – Are you an aspiring entrepreneur in the Big Country? Through the 10th annual Springboard Ideas Challenge, you could win $15,000 in cash and in-kind resources for your idea.

The Springboard Ideas Challenge, sponsored by Abilene Christian University’s Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, begins January 17th in Abilene and the surrounding area.

The competition includes three phases, each designed to help your team move to the next milestone.  Get started today by registering for one of five elevator pitch events held across the region in January.  All you have to do is share your idea in two minutes or less and get feedback from judges.

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The Springboard Ideas program allows members of the community to organize, direct and present their business model ideas to local investors and possibly walk away with thousands of dollars in startup funding and other resources.

Additionally, the program allows participants to receive valuable feedback and connect with entrepreneurs across the Big Country.

Participants will begin the program with two-minute elevator pitches, which will be hosted in cities across the Big Country including Brownwood and Early (Jan. 17), Abilene (Jan. 23, 24), Sweetwater (Jan. 26), Haskell (Jan. 30) and Snyder (Jan. 31).

Once the first round of elevator pitches have been completed, advancing teams will then attend a business model workshop on Feb. 5 for training and mentorship. These resources allow advancing participants to continue developing and refining their business models into something investors would show interest in.

The competition concludes its final round at the Springboard Community Luncheon, May 16, at the Abilene Civic Center. The top three teams will present their final business models to a board of local investors for a chance to win $15,000.

For more information, visit acu.edu/springboard, contact Karen Heflin at 325-674 6485 or email griggscenter@acu.edu.