Northeastern Illinois University’s College of Business and Management, in collaboration with honorary chair U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), will host Soy Entrepreneur, a business plan competition with a $2,500 top prize.
The goal of Soy Entrepreneur is to provide new and existing businesses an opportunity to highlight their company and a chance to win a prize to assist with the company’s growth. The competition, which is free to enter and open to the public, will highlight and promote the many new and established, small- to mid-sized Illinois-based businesses with support from local and national business leaders, as well as city, state and federal elected officials.
The deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 6. Entrepreneurs in the growth stage of business are strongly encouraged to apply. All submissions are reviewed by a panel of educators, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
The competition will culminate in an event Nov. 20, when the top five finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges. Sen. Kirk is expected to attend the event, which is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Auditorium on Northeastern’s Main Campus, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago.
In addition to the $2,500 prize, the winner will receive mentoring from a member of Northeastern’s Entrepreneurship faculty. Prizes also will be awarded for the second- and third-place finishers.
One of the most ethnically diverse universities in the nation, Northeastern provides its students an affordable, quality education. Northeastern’s rapidly growing College of Business and Management fosters excellent faculty and student research and helps its students engage with entrepreneurs to gain real-world experience. In an increasingly global business climate, Northeastern brings an eclectic world-view to the classroom that is unique among Chicago-area universities.
