Student Entrepreneur of the Year 2012
What Is Student Entrepreneur of the Year?
Student Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) is BYU’s annual competition to reward its top student entrepreneurs. Many other competitions reward students for writing fancy business plans and creating innovative business models – and there is a place for that. But SEOY is about rewarding entrepreneurs who have done more than say what they planning on doing – it rewards action, and those who have “walked the walk,” turning the idea into a business.
SO many Businesses at BYU! And SO diverse…
For SEOY 2012, more entrepreneurs than ever before were discovered on BYU’s campus. One great lesson about entrepreneurship we learned? That you do not have to be a business student to have a business! Businesses ranged from: mobile app developers to students who owned a day spa; a travel guide service for exclusive Alaskan fishing excursions to local restaurants; car dealerships to accounting services… the list could go on, but students came from many different colleges and departments across campus. The important thing is that students at BYU have found a way to turn their passions into businesses – and this entrepreneurial spirit helps them to continue to do what they love.
SEOY 2012
The event this year was the biggest, most expensive production yet. A budget of over $20,000 went into the February 10th event… but it was well spent, if we can say so ourselves J A Tron-themed competition included a mock video of Disney’s Tron, including fog machines, laser lights, break dancers, and of course the soundtrack from Tron. And did we mention that there was FREE chocolate truffles provided for all in attendance, courtesy of Utah Truffles? We hope that made the long lines worth the wait to the 400-plus students who patiently waited admittance!
Of all the student entrepreneurs on campus, three students were selected to compete as the SEOY 2012 finalists – Brad Moss, Lance Wakefield, and TJ Ruff . Each student presented the story of their business(es), including their successes and failures, to the audience and a panel of judges from Utah’s entrepreneurial community. Prizes were awarded of $10,000 for 1st place, $5,000 for 2nd place, and $2,500 for 3rd place – going to Brad Moss, Lance Wakefield, and TJ Ruff respectively. Congratulations to these great student entrepreneurs who risked everything to do what they believed in. And let’s not forget about all the other applicants, who also had the courage to and the entrepreneurial spirit to create a business – we look forward to seeing you compete in the finals in the future!
