Gordon Ford College of Business News

The WKU Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation of the Gordon Ford College of Business awarded $2,500 to five student teams that participated in the annual WKU Business Plan Competition. 

The winning teams selected from 11 entries:

• Abram Sartore, Entrepreneurship major from Gallatin, TN, with ShiftUrs Custom Shift Knobs
• Keaton Woodliff, Entrepreneurship major from Nashville, TN, with Brewers
• Kerrick Moore, Business Administration major from Bowling Green, KY, with Positive Raditude
• Dustin James, Entrepreneurship major from Bowling Green, KY, with Odd Jobs On-Call
• Courtney Gentry Entrepreneurship major and Finance minor from Hanson, KY, and Ashley Struzik, Business Management major from Bowling Green, KY, with Bowling Grind Mobile Café

"We are proud of the business plans these student teams presented to the judges. We look forward to working with these entrepreneurial students as they take this great opportunity to not only represent WKU, but further their business ventures," said Dr. Dawn Bolton, Director of the GFCB Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. "We also want to thank all of those involved with our competition." 

By winning the 2017-18 WKU Business Plan Competition, these student teams have the opportunity to represent WKU this spring in competitions like the Idea State U Competition, a statewide business plan competition designed to encourage innovation among college students. They also have an opportunity earn a monetary prize to assist in launching their business ventures. 

The five judges these students received feedback from were Dr. Paula Potter, WKU Management Department Chair, Mr. Miller Slaughter, Small Business Development Center Director, Dr. Ray Blakenship, WKU Information Systems Department Chair, Mr. Jeff Hook, Center for Research & Development and Small Business Accelerator Director, and Dr. Dawn Bolton, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

The Mission of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is to increase and develop entrepreneurial students through engaged learning, by enhancing connections across campus, and in strengthening community relationships.