Hometown Hope: a look back at IVC’s first winning team

The first Impact Venture Challenge (IVC) was held in Hostetter Chapel April 28, 2015. The contest began as a collaborative effort of business majors Ebenezer Degu ’15 and Dylan Thomas ’15 along with Brian Nejmeh, who worked as the professor of business information systems and entrepreneurship at the time.

The Winners

Hometown Hope, a team led by business administration major Craig Bowen ’15, pitched the idea of empowering and training young men by providing part-time jobs building furniture. The furniture, which could then be sold to stores, would generate revenue. They won the competition, receiving $5,000 in seed money.

“It was very exciting to win the first Impact Venture Challenge. I did not expect to win. We all just enjoyed the process. The Hometown Hope team consisted of four members: myself, Brad Steinweg ’14, and Trevor and Skylar Felkner,” said Bowen. “The IVC took a lot of time. Many late nights and early mornings were spent brainstorming and discussing our business plan. Looking back on it, the camaraderie is what I enjoyed the most, friends working together to make a difference. To create a business plan that is not only profitable, but also beneficial to others.”

In 2015, the challenged unfolded in three stages. 1) Thirty-six teams of students and alumni entered the competition by providing a three-page concept overview pitch. 2) Teams then drafted their business plans. The top 20 were then paired with mentors such as local business leaders and faculty. 3) In the finale, six teams pitched their business models and, after a brief time of judging during which the audience could text vote for their pick, the winners were announced.

The Impact

All these years later, that win has left an impression on the project leader, who is now a husband and father to three children.

“Eight years after winning the first IVC, unfortunately, I am not running the business we had hoped to start. Hometown Hope was a dream then and is still a dream that will hopefully become a reality. Myself, along with my teammates, are currently running family businesses that have been around for over 30 years,” Bowen.

He also installs perimeter security equipment across the U.S. at government facilities, military bases, museums and even the White House.

The Experience

For Bowen, IVC was an opportunity he looks back on fondly. He says Nejmeh played a huge part in the team’s success.

“He kept motivating and encouraging my teammates and I to keep pushing and to fully explore all ideas and options before we settled on something. I believe that is what has impacted my career most: to truly explore and listen to all options when making a decision. Winning the Impact Venture Challenge was a team win. We all brought great ideas to the table. We explored them, studied them and worked together to win the challenge and make lasting memories and friendships,” said Bowen.

—Anna Seip