October 16 is the deadline to apply to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s (EO) Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs who actively run a business. The regional qualifier competition will be held November 13, 2019, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 700 Ellicot Street, Buffalo, NY. The competition will be a featured event as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 11 -15 at Syracuse University, and students across campus are invited to apply and attend.
Apply here and be sure to select USA – Western New York as your regional competition location.
Syracuse University student startups have had great success in this competition. The 2014 National Champion was Syracuse University graduate Daniel Goldberg. AJ Damiano, founder of Power-Spike, won top prize at the competition in 2017 and advanced to the national finals in Kansas City. Last year, Kayla Simon, co-founder of In-Spire, won the 2018 $2,000 second place award.
EO is composed of over 12,000 of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs, and is a private peer-to-peer group transforming the lives of those who transform the world.
EO GSEA nominees compete in qualifying competitions for the chance to advance to the Global Finals. With more than 1,700 competitors from more than 30 countries, EO GSEA is an exclusive opportunity for student entrepreneurs to make connections, find resources, and grow their businesses.
Winners of the regional competition will receive $10,000 in local prizes, and the top finalist will receive an all-expense paid trip to GSEA Nationals in January 2020 (location to be announced.) All travel and lodging will be paid for one U.S. Nationals finalist to compete at the Global Finals in Cape Town, South Africa in April 2020.
Qualifications:
- Currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree (full or part-time)
- Must be principally responsible for the company operation at the time of the application
- Generated $500 USD or received $1,000 USD in investments
- Operating for at least the past six consecutive months
Finalist selection will be based on: completeness of the application; the student’s ability to overcome obstacles; clarity of the mission and vision; leadership; and innovation.
For more information, contact Bill Palisano, regional competition coordinator at bill@lincolnarchives.com or LaunchPad@syr.edu
Photo caption: Kayla Simon at the 2018 Competition in Buffalo