| NEWS RELEASE For immediate release Contact: Anne Dewvall 316.425.7059 [email protected]  Wichita, Kansas, April 24, 2015 --- NetWork Kansas' inaugural Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) will bring together students from across southeast Kansas to compete for more than $5,000 in total prize money on April 29 in Columbus, KS. The YEC features a business plan tradeshow, elevator pitches, and formal business presentations. The guest speaker is Mike Bosch, co-founder of Reflective Group and a PIPELINE Fellow. The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an innovative entrepreneurship battle that highlights entrepreneurship as a viable career path for students and facilitates learning and fun. The Southeast Kansas YEC was open to students in grades 7-12 who live in a southeast Kansas Entrepreneurship (E-) Community who have participated in one of four qualifying local competitions held in Altamont, Columbus, Girard, and Humboldt between December and February. The top businesses advanced to the YEC where they will compete for more than $5,000 in prize money. A second YEC event is being held in northwest Kansas May 6.
The competition is hosted by NetWork Kansas as part of their 48-community E-Community Partnership. The E-Community Partnership is dedicated to increasing entrepreneurial activity and developing self-sustaining ecosystems favorable to long-term entrepreneurial growth. Southeast Kansas E-Communities include: Altamont, Anderson County, Chautauqua County, Cherokee County, Coffeyville, Girard, Linn County, and Northern Montgomery County. NetWork Kansas, AT&T,Joplin Regional Partnership, Columbus Telephone & Optic Communications, Midwest Energy, Wheatland Electric/Wheatland Broadband, Sunflower Electric, and The Bank are proud sponsors of the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. More than $5,000 in prize money will be awarded, including $2,500 for first place, $1,250 for second place, and $750 for third place, and other awards. The public is invited to attend and view the students' work at the tradeshow from 11:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. at the Columbus 4-H Building. What: NetWork Kansas Southeast Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge When: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Where: 4-H Building, 114 W. Country Rd., Columbus, KS 66725 For more information, contact Anne Dewvall at [email protected] or visit: www.youtheshipchallenge.com.
About NetWork Kansas: NetWork Kansas was established as a component of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to further entrepreneurship and small business growth as a priority for economic and community development in the State of Kansas. Backed by more than 500 resource partners statewide, NetWork Kansas promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the expertise, education, and economic resources they need in order to succeed. For more information about NetWork Kansas, visit www.networkkansas.com, or call 877.521.8600. ### |
