Gillespie Business Plan Competition | The University of Mississippi

Prizes: Best Business Plan: $5,000 Best New Business Concept: $5,000
DEADLINES: March 28, 2008 Deadline for submission of executive summary (no more than two pages) due to jholleman@bus.olemiss.edu by 5 PM	Open to all Ole Miss students Open-format business plan competition Must be an original plan or concept May compete as an individual or teams of up to twelve people* *No person can enter more than one business plan or compete on more than one team.
April 2, 2008 Semifinalists announced.
April 10, 2008 Semifinalists make five-minute pitches to judges; six finalists selected.
April 24, 2008 Six finalists present in-depth plans to judges; winners announced.
Questions? Dr. John Holleman Director of Corporate Relations and MBA Services E-mail: jholleman@bus.olemiss.edu 662-915-5483

The Gillespie Business Plan Competition aims to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit among Ole Miss students throughout campus. All Ole Miss students are eligible to enter the Gillespie Business Plan Competition at Ole Miss for a chance to win $10,000. Two prizes will be awarded: one for best business plan and one for best new business concept. The winner in each category will receive $5000 (one team can win both categories).

The competition seeks to provide participating students an opportunity in which they can develop skills in pitching ventures to investors and receive constructive feedback, thereby increasing the probability of successfully launching ventures now and in the future. The judges participating in the Gillespie Business Plan Competition are banker officials and other financial investment professionals.

The Gillespie Business Plan Competition is made possible through an endowment honoring Edwin C. Gillespie, a 1943 business administration graduate. His widow, Jean Gillespie, and brother, Joe Gillespie, a 1950 liberal arts graduate, helped set up the fund to help students promote a concept in entrepreneurship.