April 12, 2004 (ATLANTA) – The hospitality industry provided the winning backdrop for four Robinson students during two separate business plan competitions - The Herman J. Russell New Venture Award and the Moses Lee Reid Entrepreneurship Award -- sponsored by the College's H.J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship.
Heather Bennett, Hannah Parsons and Philip Wilheit were awarded the Herman J. Russell New Venture Award for Grade A Grill, an innovative restaurant concept where customers cook their own steaks on an open grill. The judges cited the team's comprehensive research and knowledge of the opportunity as key factors to their success in the competition.
Reagan Ann Smith was awarded the Moses Lee Reid Entrepreneurship Award for Event Source, an event planning and marketing firm. Smith's extensive experience in the industry, her network of experienced contacts in the business and her energy convinced the judges that this would be a winning business opportunity.
Winners received a total of $10,000.
Runners-up in each category were:
- "Neerav Shah and Brian Hummel - Herman J. Russell New Venture Award
- Bobby Valentine and Brandon Rosko - Moses Lee Reid Entrepreneurship Award
Overall, 15 business plans were entered into the competitions. Each was judged by a panel of faculty and Atlanta- area entrepreneurs.
The Herman J. Russell New Venture Award is sponsored by an endowment from Herman J. Russell and is designed to reward students for excellence in business plan preparation and presentation for a new or existing venture.
The Moses lee Reid Entrepreneurship Award is sponsored through an endowment by, Robinson alum, Kenneth Reid and is named for his father. It is designed to award students who present a viable venture.
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The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the top-ranked business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past nine years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 40 in the nation (top 25 among public universities). The College's Executive MBA program is listed on The Financial Times list of the world's top ranked offerings and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment for more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.
For more information, contact:
Tammy DeMel
Associate Director, Communications and External Affairs
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
404/413-7078 (voice)
404/702-9743 |
