Business & Economy

Applications Open for Global Student Entrepreneur Award

Friday, September 22, 2017, By Pamela Whiteley McLaughlin

Oct. 25 is the deadline to apply for the 2018 Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs who actively run a business. Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a private peer-to-peer group, is composed of over 12,000 of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs' Organization logoNominees for the awards 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.

The 2014 National Champion was Syracuse University graduate Daniel Goldberg ’15. The 2017 USA-Western New York regional winner was Syracuse University student AJ Damiano ’18, founder of Power-Spike, who advanced to the Nationals in Kansas City this past spring.

The winner of the upcoming regional competition will receive $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to GSEA Nationals in Dallas in February 2018.

Qualifications for the award are:

  • Entrant must be currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree (full or part time).
  • Entrant must be business owner, founder or controlling shareholder, and principally responsible for its operation.
  • Business must be structured for-profit or social enterprise.
  • Business must have generated $500 USD or received $1,000 USD in investments.
  • Business must have been operating for at least the past six consecutive months.

Apply online at https://www.eonetwork.org/EO-GSEA/ and be sure to select USA-Western NY.

The competition will be held Nov. 8 at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo. Finalist selection will be judged 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 David Robinson at 716.276.8707 or robinson@thelotisgroup.com

The Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse University Libraries is helping to coordinate the campus competition.