{"id":91092,"date":"2025-10-20T09:46:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=91092"},"modified":"2025-10-20T09:47:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:47:01","slug":"fhsu-to-host-annual-epi%c2%b2c-weekend-challenge-for-student-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=91092","title":{"rendered":"FHSU to host annual EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge for student entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By LINCOLN MYERS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Hays State University will host the EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge from November 7-9 at the Robbins Center<\/a> on campus. The three-day event gives students 48 hours to turn creative ideas into real business ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition, short for Experiential, Purposeful, Imaginative, Innovative, and Creative, brings together students from all majors to work in teams, develop their ideas, and present to a panel of judges for prizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizer Henry Schwaller said the challenge is unique because of how much students learn in a short time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge stands out because it compresses the entrepreneurial journey into 48 adrenaline-charged hours, where students move from idea to launch-ready venture,\u201d Schwaller said. \u201cRather than focusing only on a business plan or pitch, participants create, collaborate, and compete in real time with help from expert coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schwaller added that hosting the event at FHSU showcases the university\u2019s commitment to innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHosting the EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge highlights the university\u2019s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship among students,\u201d Schwaller said. \u201cIt connects FHSU\u2019s academic strengths with the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in rural Kansas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed Vengrouskie, professor of management and co-organizer, said the weekend shows how FHSU supports students who want to think creatively and start businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy hosting this event, Fort Hays State University clearly demonstrates its commitment to developing and reinforcing the entrepreneurial spirit, not only among Hansen Hall students but across campus and throughout the community,\u201d Vengrouskie said. \u201cWe have seen a significant increase in FHSU alumni who are now local entrepreneurs returning to campus to mentor our students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schwaller said the structure of the weekend allows students to work closely with mentors and professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFaculty and experienced entrepreneurs serve as coaches and judges, giving students access to real-time feedback and mentorship,\u201d Schwaller said. \u201cBusiness leaders also gain insight into emerging student talent and ideas, which helps strengthen the connection between campus and community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vengrouskie said organizers hope to reach even more students this year through expanded promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBuilding on last year\u2019s successful EPI\u00b2C Challenge, we have advertised throughout the campus and at events such as Tiger Day,\u201d he said. \u201cOur goal is to grow participation across campus and among local high school students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Will Tice, an FHSU student who competed last year, the event was a chance to test ideas and meet others with a passion for innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing into college, I had a lot of crazy ideas and was eager to explore them,\u201d Tice said. \u201cJust a few days before the competition, I found out about the EPI\u00b2C Challenge and immediately saw it as a perfect opportunity to bring my ideas to life while building my network.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tice says the process starts with everyone pitching their ideas before teams are formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce our team was set, we used the Lean Model Canvas to map out our business, defining what we offer, analyzing the competition, identifying gaps in the market, and determining if there\u2019s demand for our solution,\u201d he said. \u201cLike any entrepreneurial journey, we faced roadblocks that forced us to adapt and refine our approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the challenge helped him understand what it takes to start a business and why he wants to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis experience has taught me what it truly takes to make a business succeed,\u201d Tice said. \u201cMost importantly, it has helped me connect with my \u2018why\u2019; the reason I\u2019m driven to pursue entrepreneurship. For me, that\u2019s my faith in Jesus, which gives me purpose and direction in everything I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tice encouraged other students to take part in the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re even slightly interested in business, I\u2019d highly encourage you to join the EPI\u00b2C Challenge,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile the prize money is exciting, the real value is in the experience. You learn how to develop a business, connect with mentors and peers, and build relationships that can last a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge will run from 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, through 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Robbins Center, FHSU. All students are invited to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, visit the FHSU EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By LINCOLN MYERS Tiger Media Network Fort Hays State University will host the EPI\u00b2C Weekend Challenge from November 7-9 at the Robbins Center on campus.… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":91093,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":false,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3397,3398,11],"tags":[625,15979,16174],"class_list":["post-91092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-area-news","category-campus-news","category-news","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-epic-challenge","tag-lincoln-myers"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EPIC-IMage.jpg?fit=600%2C414&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91092"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91092\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91095,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91092\/revisions\/91095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/91093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}