By JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
Tiger Media Network
Do you have an idea that you believe can make a difference? Are you looking for opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurially creative people? Have you been searching for avenues to learn more about creating a new venture? The EPI²C Sustainability Challenge might be for you.
The annual FHSU EPI²C Sustainability Challenge will be taking place this weekend Friday through Sunday in the FHSU Memorial Union.
The EPI²C Challenge is open to all students, regardless of major or classification, and the event is free to participate in. Each year, the fast-paced, hands-on challenge has grown bigger and gotten better. This year is anticipated to be the best for the challenge yet.
Henry Schwaller, instructor of Management and contact for the Fall 2023 EPI²C Sustainability Challenge, gives a brief description of the challenge.
“The EPI²C Sustainability Challenge is a 48-hour event in which individuals, regardless of their major or entrepreneurial background, pitch ideas for new sustainable ventures,” Schwaller said. “From these individual ideas, people form teams based around the best ideas. Finally, the teams work on plans to then turn these ideas into reality. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three ideas.”
The cash prizes will be awarded based on the recommendations of a panel of judges. First place will be awarded $2500, second place will earn $1500 and third place gets $1000.
The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCOBE) and the Department of Management have organized and held this event since 2013 after an FHSU alum attended a similar event in Las Vegas and had a successful experience.
“He pitched an idea that he had for an app at the Vegas event, spent the weekend with a team writing code and refining his idea — and then successfully launched and sold the app to a tech company,” Schwaller said.
Following the theme of successful projects, Schwaller gives some advice to potential EPI²C Sustainability Challenge competitors for this weekend.
“There are many ideas that were my favorites, but the ones that I remember best have one thing in common: a group that was passionate about their idea and spent time talking to potential customers, created a prototype and demonstrated that they really want their idea to be successful,” he said.
Schwaller explains the importance of FHSU hosting events such as this one for its students and their educational development.
“This event focuses on hands-on learning. This means that students aren’t memorizing concepts, but rather, they’re using them to create something new,” he said. “This new venture should have a purpose, be imaginative and innovative, and demonstrate a creative solution to an existing problem.”
Registration is still open, but it is required and can be found here: https://epi2cchallenge.com/. Additional questions can be directed to Schwaller at hschwall@fhsu.edu .
For those unable to participate this weekend, the EPI²C Sustainability Challenge is one of two entrepreneurial challenges that will be happening this year with the Faulkner Challenge taking place in the Spring 2024 semester. Stay tuned to TMN for more information on that challenge when the time gets closer.
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