WKU News

A student project from the Spring 2018 Small Business Analysis and Strategy class won first place in the Undergraduate Feasibility Analysis Division at the Small Business Institute Project of the Year Competition during the SBI Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 14-16. 

The student group consisted of Nathan Cherry, Courtney Gentry, Adam Giageos, Mac Morris, and Eric Spiller, who are now WKU alumni. The group consulted with JR Chaney Bottling Company, providing financial and marketing analyses to the company and then presenting the information as a part of a class project. 

"The Project of the Year Competition serves as a culmination of students' work in a capstone environment, working with a live client, yielding a win-win for both students and the community," said Dr. Whitney Peake, Vitale Professor of Entrepreneurship and faculty advisor for the student project. "These are difficult projects to complete and require dedication from both the student team and the client." 

"This project was a great conclusion to our college careers," Cherry, a 2018 GFCB graduate, said about the award. "It allowed us to utilize all the skills we have learned over the past four years to create practical solutions for a real business in the Bowling Green community." 

The student group worked with the business the entire semester to complete the project. 

"I cannot say enough good things about this group," Dr. Peake said. "I appreciate them seeing the project through to the end with professionalism and excellence. I'd also like to thank Elizabeth Chaney Lunsford for her work with the student team as a client."