Student participants identify a problem, propose solutions, build prototypes and engage potential customers to test assumptions. Their experience culminates with a Demonstration Day pitch, which this year took place July 20, when nine teams pitched their entrepreneurial journey to three panelists and over 100 audience members in the Encova Auditorium of the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation.
The panel consisted of Toney Stroud, chief legal officer at Marshall University, Barbie Woods of Advantage Valley’s FASTER WV program, and entrepreneur Jonathan Hale.
Students’ projects addressed problems such as food insecurity, the impact of droughts on family farms, plastic waste, distracted driving, as well as the needs for broadband internet in rural areas, an integrated system or application for trip-planning, adaptive and fashionable clothing for those with disabilities, and improved casts for broken bones.
Students who participated in the camp and presented demonstrations included:
Shyla Hatti, Ragan Martin, Peter Basdekis, Shay Chester, Alison Shelton, Ben Keeney, John Campbell, Anna Wolverton, Danielle Scantlin, Joseph Van Meter, Sundar Chiranjeevi, Liam Kruse, Anna Floyd, Dylan Liang, Hannah Raper, Claire Salisbury,
Gavin Knotts, Aaliyah Dodrill, Trinity Hardman, Raighan Hall Carte, Sid Rathinam, Sayid Jaweed, Liam McClure, Parker Jenkins, Emily McClure, Zach Farnsworth, Hawke Maynard, and Daniel Macjuk, Madeline Snyder, Sam Whitaker, Smit Babariya, John Whitaker, Indigo Bruehwiler, Derrick Bowersox, Mohamed Hasbane and Charity Ward.
Brandon Dennison, Marshall’s vice president of Workforce and Economic Development who was the founder of the nonprofit Coalfield Development, served as the 2024 WVGSE keynote speaker and emphasized the three G’s: Gumption, grit and grace.
“The Demo Day event was a tremendous success because of our incredible faculty, coaches/mentors, and the students,” said Olen York, director of Entrepreneurship Education and dean of the WVGSE. “Through the combination of efforts, the students demonstrated how much progress can be made in a short window of time. The panelists evaluating the pitches were blown away by the quality and depth of the problems identified and proposed solutions.
“Overall, I could not be more thrilled with how things came together, especially with the many challenges each group faced. I imagine that the impact of this experience will be that resonates for years with each of our students, and the friendships that were forged will last a lifetime. This is an achievement of which the state, Marshall University, the College of Business, and all members of the GSE body can be proud.”
More information about WVGSE 2024 can be found at the website www.marshall.edu/gse or contact Olen York at olen.york@marshall.edu.