e-Fest® Guide for Teams and Advisors
Congratulations on Advancing to the Top 25! e-Fest® Checklist Thursday, April 28:
Check-in at the Schulze School Atrium reception desk before 5:00 p.m. Attend student and advisor orientation at 5:00 p.m. and media training at 5:30 p.m. Designate one team member to deliver your 90-second elevator pitch at the Pitch Slam! Competition (no slides, just a pitch). Cash prizes for the top 3 teams total $17,500.
Friday, April 29:
If selected, participate in media interviews. All teams selected for interviews will be notified of your interview schedule at the media training on Thursday. Attend the required professional development workshops at 9:00 a.m., 10:40 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (choose from two options during each time block) Get excited to innovate with your peers, have fun, and win prizes at the Innovation Challenge from 5-9:30 p.m. Cash prizes for the top 3 teams total $35,000.
Saturday, April 30:
Prepare your 15-minute pitch to present to judges at the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge finals the morning of Saturday, April 30. Put your presentation slides on a flash drive. (All teams will be given a flash drive upon check-in on Thursday.) Slides must be submitted on a flash drive the morning of Saturday, April 30th prior to Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge orientation at 8:00 a.m. All presentations, regardless of your pitch time, will be pre-loaded onto pitch room computers before the first pitch of the day for smooth transitions between pitches. Get ready for the Championship Round. The top 5 finalists from the morning will advance to the championship where you will deliver your 15-minute pitch to a new panel of judges. Celebrate and be rewarded! Social and Global Impact award winners, teams taking 2nd and 3rd place in the morning pitch rooms, and championship teams will be awarded with cash prizes totaling $162,500! 1
e-Fest® The goal of e-Fest® is to provide a substantial opportunity for undergraduate students to exercise entrepreneurship, network with other emerging entrepreneurial leaders, and gain recognition for their business venture ideas and ability to pitch them effectively. e-Fest® is a three-day celebration of undergraduate entrepreneurship! It’s more than a business plan competition, providing students with intentional opportunities for professional development, collaboration with peers, and of course, the opportunity to win substantial cash prizes for their business ventures. Throughout the three days, student will participate in multiple competitions – the Pitch Slam, where one member from each team will give a 90-second elevator pitch on their business venture, the Innovation Challenge, where teams comprised of students across participating universities will develop a solution to a specific issue, and finally, the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, the business plan competition where teams compete for their share of $125k in cash. In total, among the three competitions, $215k is awarded, making e-Fest® one of the largest undergraduate student business plan competitions in the world. Also included in the e-Fest® are professional development workshops for students and university advisors and the opportunity to participate in media interviews to promote your business in your local media market. e-Fest® is presented by EIX.org, whose mission is to improve the success rates of new ventures by promoting exceptional entrepreneurship teaching and thought leadership. e-Fest® and EIX.org are philanthropic initiatives of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. e-Fest® is hosted and coordinated through the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, Opus College of Business, University of St Thomas.
Travel Stipends e-Fest® provides a generous stipend to support costs for travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and meals for the Top 25 Finalists teams and their faculty advisor to travel to Minneapolis, MN for the three-day e-Fest® event. Our host, The University of St. Thomas, issues a travel stipend check directly to advisors to support expenses incurred for e-Fest®. Advisors are responsible for managing travel stipends and arranging all hotel and travel accommodations for themselves and their student teams. Universities requiring air travel to attend e-Fest® will receive a travel stipend of $3,500 per team. Local teams not travelling by air will receive a stipend of $1,500 per team. Please note that the travel stipend is considered reimbursement for expenses incurred. Advisors may not receive their checks until 4 weeks after we receive your W-9. To process your travel stipend for e-Fest®, each advisor must complete a W-9 form on behalf of your university. In the "Name" field on the W-9 form, please put the name of your university. Stipends will be made out to the university with attention line listing the advisor’s name.
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Getting Here Air Travel The University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis campus is conveniently located less than 10 miles from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP). We strongly suggest teams plan travel arrangements to arrive no later than 2:00pm on Thursday April 28th to allow sufficient time to check-in to the hotel and arrive on campus by 4:30pm. e-Fest® check-in begins at 4:00pm with team orientation at 5:00pm.
Airport Transportation The recommended hotel, DoubleTree Inn & Suites, and the event venue, Schulze Hall at the University of St. Thomas Minneapolis campus are located in downtown Minneapolis. We recommend using appbased ride services, a taxi, or the Metro Transit Light Rail (blue line from MSP to the Nicollet Mall stop, then walk approximately six blocks to the DoubleTree Inn & Suites), to get to the recommended hotel. More information here.
Ground Travel for Local Teams Local teams travelling by car are encouraged to stay at the DoubleTree Suites Minneapolis with the other competing teams. You may arrange parking through the hotel during your time of booking. Local teams or advisors not staying at the hotel and traveling to campus each day will be provided with vouchers for the ramp connected by skyway to the University of St. Thomas, located at the corner of 11th Street and Harmon Place (25 S 11th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403).
Hotel Accommodations Recommended Hotel DoubleTree Suites Minneapolis 1101 LaSalle Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 A block of rooms, at a discounted rate of $149 per night, has been reserved at the Doubletree Suites Minneapolis through April 15. When booking your hotel accommodations, let them know you are a part of the e-Fest® block. The DoubleTree is located less than one block from the University of St. Thomas Minneapolis campus. Upon arrival at the DoubleTree on April 28, you will check into your hotel room and drop off your luggage. e-Fest® check-in will take place across the street from the hotel, in the atrium of Schulze Hall on the first floor of the building. In Schulze Hall, you will be greeted by e-Fest® volunteers, and they will assist student competitors to complete a W-9 if you have not done so in advance. Completing a W-9 is necessary to participate in the competition. Each student and advisor will receive a backpack with a t-shirt, detailed schedule and information on adjacent restaurants and shops.
Meals During the e-Fest® event, most meals and snacks will be provided to teams and advisors. If you require dietary accommodation, please let us know. Thursday, April 28 •
Sandwiches and heavy appetizers will be provided during team check-in 3
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Dessert buffet will be served ahead of the opening ceremony & Pitch Slam! event
Friday, April 29 • • • •
Breakfast at the hotel (you will be given a breakfast voucher upon hotel check-in) Snacks and a grab-and-go lunch will be provided during the professional development workshops Dinner buffet will be provided during the Innovation Challenge Advisors are invited to attend a special reception at an off-campus restaurant on Friday evening while students work through the Innovation Challenge
Saturday, April 30 • • • •
Breakfast at the hotel (you will be given a breakfast voucher upon hotel check-in) Lunch buffet served following morning finals pitch event Heavy appetizers provided after the championship pitches / before the closing ceremony & awards announced Dinner on your own
e-Fest® Schedule Schedule At-a-Glance THURSDAY, APRIL 28: ARRIVAL, OPENING CEREMONY & PITCH SLAM TIME
ACTIVITY
LOCATION
1:00-5:00pm
Teams fly-in and arrive and check-in to the DoubleTree Suites Minneapolis
DoubleTree Suites Minneapolis
Hotel address: 1101 LaSalle Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403 4:00pm
Teams arrive on campus and check-in at e-Fest® welcome desk Schulze Hall address: 46 S. 11th street, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Schulze Hall Atrium
5:00pm
Student & Advisor Orientation
Schulze Hall Auditorium
5:30pm
Media Training
Schulze Hall Auditorium
6:00pm
Break & guest arrival
Schulze Hall Atrium
6:15pm
Opening Ceremony
Schulze Hall Auditorium
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7:00pm
Pitch Slam! Competition
Schulze Hall Auditorium
8:10pm
Keynote – Dick Schulze, Founder of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and Founder and Executive Chairman of Best Buy
Schulze Hall Auditorium
8:30pm
Pitch Slam! Awards Ceremony & Closing Announcements
Schulze Hall Auditorium
FRIDAY, APRIL 29: MEDIA TOUR, WORKSHOPS & INNOVATION CHALLENGE TIME
ACTIVITY
LOCATION
5:00am12:00pm
Satellite Media Tour for teams selected for interviews
Terrence Murphy Hall 450
8:45am
Students, Advisors & Speakers begin to arrive
Schulze Hall Atrium
9:00am10:30am
Professional Development Workshops – Block 1:
Schulze Hall 3rd floor
Teams selected for interviews will be notified at the media training on Thursday evening.
Student Workshop Option #1: Persuasive Communication for Achieving Your Entrepreneurial Initiatives Facilitated by James C. Wetherbe, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech Room: SCH 301 Student Workshop Option #2: Building your Online Brand: eCommerce Marketing Opportunities in 2022 Facilitated by Martha Krueger, Founder & Owner of Giften Market Room: SCH 314
10:40am12:10pm
University Advisor Workshop: Opportunities and Challenges in our Universities Facilitated by Alec Johnson, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of St. Thomas Room: SCH 316 Professional Development Workshops – Block 2: Student Workshop Option #1: SEM/SEO Strategy Facilitated by AJ Silber, The Guerilla Room: SCH 301 Student Workshop Option #2: Venture Capital and Investor Perspectives 5
Schulze Hall 3rd floor
Facilitated by Laurent Frecon, LFE Capital Room: SCH 314
12:10 – 12:30pm 12:30pm2:00pm
University Advisor Workshop: Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem on your campus: Highlights from gener8tor’s college and university collaborations Facilitated by Abby Kursel and Lauren Usher, gener8tor Room: SCH 316 Break with Grab & Go Lunch
Professional Development Workshops – Block 3:
SCH 335 Student Commons Schulze Hall Third Floor
Student Workshop Option #1: Seed Capital & Angel Investors Facilitated by Paul Campbell, Brown Venture Group Room: SCH 314
2:00– 5:00pm 5:00pm
Student Workshop Option #2: IP and Business Formation / Legal Issues Facilitated by Kwame Osafo-Addo, Kwame’s Law Firm PLLC & LegalCORPS Room: SCH 315 Free Time
Innovation Challenge
Schulze Hall 335 Student Commons
Announcement of challenge 5:15-8:00pm
Students - Innovation Challenge: Work Time Advisors - Happy Hour
Schulze Hall 3rd & 4th floor rooms The Newsroom
7:45pm
Advisors - Judging Orientation
Schulze Hall Atrium
8:00-9:00pm
Innovation Challenge: Judging
Terrence Murphy Hall Atrium
9:00-9:30pm
Innovation Challenge Awards Announcement
Terrence Murphy Hall Atrium
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SATURDAY, APRIL 30: SCHULZE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE TIME
ACTIVITY
LOCATION
7:30 a.m.
All student teams check in at the reception desk.
Schulze Hall Atrium
8:00am
Bring your PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive (one has been provided to your team captain). Your presentation will be preloaded on the computer in your pitch room for a smooth transition between pitches. Student and judge orientations
8:30am10:55am
Finals Round Presentations – Groups and Order of Presentation will be included in Welcome Packets at Event Check-In
Schulze Hall Auditorium Schulze Hall Third Floor
Presentation format: 15-minute presentation/10-minute Q&A/5-minute transition 10:55am
Judges Deliberation
Schulze Hall Third Floor
11:15am
Feedback Sessions
Schulze Hall Third Floor
11:15am/11:25am/11:35am/11:45am/11:55am Feedback session format: 10 minutes each in presenting order 11:30am1:00pm
Lunch Buffet for finalist teams, advisors, judges, and guests
Opus Hall 201/202
1:10pm
Judges’ Results: announcement of teams competing in Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge Championships
Schulze Hall Auditorium
1:30pm3:55pm
Championship Round – Presentation order will be announced at Judge’s announcement
Schulze Hall Auditorium
Presentation format: 15-minute presentation, 10-minute Q&A, 5-minute transition 4:00pm
Student and Advisor – Heavy Appetizers & Desserts Served
Schulze Hall Atrium
5:15pm6:15pm
Closing Ceremony & Awards Announcement
Schulze Hall Auditorium
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Professional Development Workshops e-Fest® is much more than just a business plan competition. The three-day event was designed to provide students with intentional collaboration, networking and professional development opportunities to increase your growth and acumen as entrepreneurs. During the morning and early afternoon on Friday, April 29, students and advisors are requested to attend professional development workshops led by seasoned experts from around the country. Workshop topics include but are not limited to: Building Online Prescence and e-Commerce, SEM & SEO Strategy, IP and Business Formation/ Legal Advice for Start-ups, Attracting Seed Capital & Angel Investors.
Media Tour Overview A Satellite Media Tour (SMT) provides an opportunity for teams to connect with multiple media outlets from across the country to conduct interviews for television, radio and print media. Teams will select one student member to represent their business venture at the e-Fest® media tour. During the SMT, you’ll be paired with Laura Dunham from the Schulze School, who will answer media questions about e-Fest® and the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge. Your team representative will talk about your specific idea/pitch to media outlets primarily in your school’s local market. Please note, not every team will be selected for a media interview. We are working with an agency to pitch each team and arrange interviews, but availability will vary greatly by geography. As a professional development opportunity, all teams will receive media training whether or not they are selected to interview.
Training The e-Fest® team and BLJ will host a media training session for all students and advisors on Thursday 4/28 following orientation. Training will cover what to expect before, during, and after your interviews, your scheduled call time, and information about the media tour process.
Preparations and Expectations Prior to arriving at e-Fest®, there are several things you can do to prepare for your interviews: Team Representative: Each team will select one member to represent them during the media tour. Attire: Wear neat, clean and comfortable clothing. Avoid distracting patterns, stripes and bright colors, specifically red. Business casual clothing is most appropriate for television interviews. Pitch: Prepare a concise pitch to share with interviewers about your business, how you came up with your idea, and why you chose to enter the e-Fest® business competition. While you may get a variety of questions, please be prepared to discuss the following: 1. Talk about your team’s idea and how it came about. 2. I’m sure the process to get your idea into a possible viable business has been full of ups and downs. What has that process been like? 3. How much of a game-changer would winning the $50,000 first prize be for your team’s venture?
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Arrival: Please be sure to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled interview time, this is referred to as your “call time.” The team from BLJ will share details about your scheduled interviews, apply make-up (this is necessary to reduce shine), place your earpiece, and lapel mic.
e-Fest® Competitions At e-Fest®, undergraduates from four-year colleges and universities in North America have the chance to compete for $215,000 in cash prizes at a three-day celebration of undergraduate entrepreneurship. The event includes several different competitions and events where students have the opportunity to win cash prizes.
Pitch Slam! We hit the ground running on Thursday evening. After a welcome by Dick Schulze, the 25 finalist teams will each get 90 seconds to deliver their business plan elevator pitches to fellow student competitors. Teams must elect one person to deliver their pitch. No slides may be used during the pitch slam, just a verbal pitch. Everyone in attendance will vote for the 3 venture teams they would most want to meet with as a potential investor.
Team Prizes: 1st – $10K | 2nd – $5K | 3rd – $2500K
Innovation Challenge On Friday night, we’ll mix and match all the student competitors into new teams of 4-5 students each. Then, we’ll provide a challenge, and teams will have 3 hours, some creative supplies, and their brainpower to come up with the best solution. Advisors will have the chance to hear teams pitch their business solutions and vote on their favorites. The 3 teams with the most votes will win cash prizes!
Team Prizes: 1st – $20K | 2nd – $10K | 3rd – $5K
Schulze Challenge Championships Saturday morning will feature the finals round! One team from each group will advance from the finals round to the championship round on Saturday afternoon with a new set of judges. The morning finals will be closed to spectators, but the championship round will be open to watch. Team presentation times and room assignments will be provided with your welcome packets on Thursday. Teams will be grouped into teams of 5 and present their business plans to a panel of 4-5 judges. Presentation format: 15-minute presentation / 10-minute Q&A / 5-minute transition. Following the last pitch, judges will deliberate and rank teams from first to fifth place. The teams winning first place from each judging group will move on to the Championship Round. After the Judges’ deliberation, each team will have a feedback session with the judging panel. Refer to the Schulze Entrepreneurship Rubric for guidance on how your presentation and pitch will be assessed by judges. The same rubric will be used for the finals and championship rounds of competition.
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Team Prizes: 1st – $50K | 2nd – $30K | 3rd – $20K | 4th – $15K | 5th – $10K | Audience Choice Award: $1K Semi-Finals Round 2nd and 3rd Place Teams: 2nd – $2500 | 3rd – $1000
Special Recognition Awards Teams that submit entries for e-Fest® will be able to apply for consideration for two additional cash prizes, for social and global impact. These teams’ ventures are mission-driven and can help move the needle in social or global contexts. Winners have been selected in advance and will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday.
Social Impact Award: $10K
Global Impact Award: $10K
Technology in Pitch Rooms All competition rooms are equipped with a PC/LCD projector. We ask that students bring their pitch presentations on a flash drive. We will collect your flash drive on Saturday morning at check-in and a volunteer will pre-load your presentation onto the classroom computer. Please note, we are not able to
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accommodate teams presenting from personal laptops. You must bring your presentation on a flash drive.
Wi-Fi Access Network: UST-Open (no password required)
Building Access The University of St. Thomas campus is located in the middle of downtown Minneapolis with a lot of public food traffic nearby. As such, the doors to our campus are locked and secured. Most e-Fest events are located in Schulze Hall, across the street from the DoubleTree hotel. The main doors for Schulze Hall will be open during the following times: • • •
Thursday 4/28 - 4:00-6:00pm Friday 4/29 - 8:30-9:30am and 4:30-5:30pm Saturday 4/30 - 7:30-8:30am and 4:30-5:30pm
During times that the main doors are not open, you can access the event through the Terrence Murphy Hall Atrium entrance and the LaSalle parking lot entrance.
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The keypad code is: 5942#
Security Minneapolis is a beautiful city rich with art, theater, and live music (including the iconic concert venue First Avenue), but you must always be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to safety. University of St Thomas Public Safety: https://www.stthomas.edu/publicsafety • • •
Non-Emergency: (651) 962-5100 On Campus Emergencies: (651) 962-5555 Off Campus Emergencies: 911
Free Time & Participants’ Needs Participants will have free time from 2-5:00pm on Friday afternoon to practice their pitches ahead of the Saturday Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge or visit local attractions. There are several points of interest, free of charge, within walking distance of the e-Fest® event venue: Loring Park, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center featuring the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, the historic Stone Arch Bridge overlooking the Mississippi River, the Endless Bridge located inside of the Guthrie Theater, the Mary Tyler Moore statue on Nicollet Mall, and of course, the popular First Avenue concert venue made famous by Minnesota native Prince. Minneapolis has a number of public & outdoor murals around the city, including the “Icon of a Revolution” mural dedicated to George Floyd, located at the site of his death. For art museum enthusiasts, admission to the Minneapolis Institute of Art is free and open to the public. The Target Center (Timberwolves & Lynx basketball), Target Field (Twins baseball), and US Bank Stadium (Vikings football) sports facilities are all located in downtown Minneapolis. The Metro Transit Light Rail (blue line from Nicollet Mall) will take you to the Mall of America. A Target store, Walgreens, and Lunds & Byerly’s grocery store are within walking distance of the DoubleTree hotel, in case prescriptions or sundries are needed.
Maps Event Map 2022 e-Fest Map
University of St. Thomas Maps To help you get around campus, please view the campus map PDF or the interactive map St. Thomas Map - downtown Minneapolis campus Interactive St. Thomas Map
Downtown Minneapolis Maps Shopping & Dining Map 12
COVID-19 Protocols (subject to change) At present time, the University of St. Thomas does not require facial coverings, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to participate in events on campus. On Feb. 24, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ended the city's mask requirement. Individual organizations, businesses and venues may still institute specific mask and/or vaccine/testing mandates. The City of Minneapolis COVID-19 policies can be found here. Prior to traveling to Minneapolis, we recommend you check for the latest guidance. We ask that each e-Fest® participant always keep a mask or facial covering with you. If someone at the event asks that you wear a mask, for example in a pitch room, please respectfully comply.
Code of Conduct During your time at e-Fest®, we ask all participants and advisors to represent the event and their schools with thoughtful consideration and respect for everyone attending the event. We expect equal treatment of all participants without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, disability or veteran status. We will not tolerate disrespectful or harassing behavior, conversations or interactions by any participants: competitors, judges, advisors, volunteers, attendees, in any form, regardless of whether it occurs on campus or off campus. Be respectful and courteous when speakers or other teams are presenting. Do not interrupt a pitch or leave a pitch room or event while someone is speaking. Each of us is responsible for the success and integrity of e-Fest®.
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