University of Saint Francis Hosts Distinguished Media Studies Professor

February 26, 2008, Fort Wayne, Indiana: Two University of Saint Francis students have been selected as finalists in the Nascent 500 Business Plan Challenge to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on March 28.

Students Krista Van Lue, a senior majoring in Business/Marketing from Syracuse, Indiana and Bridget Becker, a senior majoring in Religion/Communication from Fort Wayne, are among the nation’s top twelve entries for their business plan, “Destination.”

The student team has won $500 each for advancing to the finals. This is the first time that the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Saint Francis has participated in a national contest.

The Nascent 500 Business Plan Challenge is sponsored by Ball State University’s Entrepreneurship Center. Twelve student teams were selected from schools nationwide to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each team will have 500 seconds to present their business plan in the back of a limo as it travels around the Speedway track. Four student teams will advance to the final round and present again to win over $18,000 in prizes. The contest winners will receive a victory lap around the Speedway, a quart of milk and $10,000.

The other schools being represented in the finals are the University of Michigan, the University of Central Florida, the University of Manitoba, Ball State University, Grove City College, Western Carolina University, Illinois State University, the University of Houston, the Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt University.

For more information, please contact Alan Grossnickle, professor in the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership, at 260-399-7700 ext. 8302.