BreAnna Fisher, a senior at the University of St. Thomas' Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, was named a finalist in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) competition in November. Aimed at identifying the top student entrepreneurs in the world, the GSEA is organized by the Entrepreneurs' Organization an international colaition of business creators.
A Twin Cities native, Fisher is on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in spring 2013. Her nomination was for her work with her startup DoDrinks.com. Founded in April 2012, DoDrinks is a technology-based promotional company; the DoDrinks app allows drinks of all kinds to be pre-bought by one party and sent to another using a smart device with Internet access. Currently being incubated at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Lab, the company is partnering with Heineken to engage in a one-brand pilot test in the Minneapolis market in late 2012.
Over 2,000 people in the United States applied to compete at the regional level. Fisher was awarded first place in the Chicago region, based on criteria such as entrepreneurship, business fundamentals, lessons learned, growth and future plans. After Chicago, she traveled to New York for the GSEA finals, a trip that included a stay at the Waldorf-Astoria. "It still doesn't even seem real that we were there," says Fisher.
The competition itself was held on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Fisher competed against 30 different student entrepreneurs from six continents. The diversity of competition, notes Fisher, "was pretty amazing, to say the very least. People from places ranging from Africa to Russia to Malaysia to South America."
"Being among thirty entrepreneurs with revenue-generating business from around the world, and being named as one of the top five of that group, that was quite an honor," Fisher said.
Schulze School students have a very strong record in the GSEA competition, with Fisher being the fourth Schulze student to make it to the finals.
