Schulze School of Entrepreneurship
The Fowler Business Concept Challenge
2011 Fowler Challenge Awarded more than $40,000 in UST Scholarships
The third annual Fowler Business Concept Challenge was held on the Minneapolis campus on October 21, 2011, with teams representing undergraduate and graduate divisions from across the University of St. Thomas.
More than 85 business concepts were entered by teams comprising one to three persons, with four teams in each of the graduate and undergraduate divisions taking home scholarships ranging from $10,000 per person to $1,000 per person.
The Minnesota Angels Network made a surprise appearance and presented $1,000 scholarships to all finalist teams to move forward into the MNAN program.
“We review anywhere from 10 to 20 business plans per month,” said Todd Leonard, executive director of the Minnesota Angels Network, “and we’ve looked at 100 business plans since we’ve started our program. We constantly are looking at plans and entrepreneurs, and [these UST student business plans] are every bit as much on par with what we see, and I want to applaud all of you.”
Focused on energizing the entrepreneurial spirit of UST students across campuses and colleges, the competition challenges students to develop a business concept that has the potential to become a viable, high-growth business. The teams that submit the winning business competition in each of two divisions (undergraduate and graduate) receive $10,000 scholarships from the University of St. Thomas.
The Fowler Business Concept Challenge is held during the month of October. It is open to all UST students registered for the fall semester, including undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.
Students can compete individually or in teams of no more than three. Entries register in either the Undergraduate or Graduate Division. Undergraduate Division teams must comprise all undergraduate students. Teams registering in the Graduate Division must have at least one currently registered UST graduate student (master’s or doctoral level) on the team. Other team members may be currently registered UST undergraduate students.
“The University of St. Thomas has long been recognized as a leader in nurturing and enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit in our community,” says Christopher Puto, dean of the Opus College of Business. “Students throughout the university are encouraged to explore their potential, search out new opportunities and use the skills and knowledge they have acquired to make a difference in the world. This competition honors that philosophy while allowing the university to demonstrate the caliber of its students in a very public way.”
Ron Fowler
The Fowler Business Concept Challenge is named in recognition of Ron Fowler ’66, chairman and CEO of Liquid Investments Inc., whose generous gift to the university has made this and future competitions possible.
Learn more about Ron Fowler and his contributions to lifelong learning. »
Connect with other students in the Challenge
Interested in participating? Looking for a partner or team to work with on developing a business concept?
St. Thomas students are invited to use a Blackboard community site to find partners and teams, as well as to stay in touch once the competition is underway.
To join the community site, log into Blackboard, click on the Community tab, type "Fowler" in the Organization Search box, and then click on the Enroll button.
