Utah Entrepreneur Challenge

The Utah Entrepreneur Challenge is Utah’s largest student run business plan competition. The entrepreneur experience for college and university students in the beehive state will never be the same. Thousands of students over the programs ten year history have submitted their business ideas in a head-to-head competition with other students.

What’s the purpose? For some it is strictly monetary: compete for tens of thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind services. For others it is an invaluable opportunity to learn how to take a business idea to the next level by developing the tools and business connections necessary to turn an idea into a business.

As Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (UEC) Director of Outreach for the 2009-2010 school year I have had first hand experience running part of this incredible competition. Entrepreneurs are inspiring people, but student entrepreneurs have a fire and passion all their own. My responsibility has been to create small business plan competitions, under the “Opportunity Quest” competitive umbrella, at eight colleges and universities throughout the state. Each of these schools are helping create the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Prize money, pomp and prestige aside, this competition will stretch and test even the most fail-safe business plan. It has made and will continue to make it competitor’s better business people in their respective communities and places of business. For these reasons I encourage any aspiring entrepreneur to compete in the UEC.

Tim Hale
MBA Candidate 2011