Next Wednesday, 15 local students will have the chance to pitch their business plans to some of the most prominent members of the region’s business community during Greater Pensacola’s inaugural Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) investor panel showdown.
Designed to give participating YEA! students the opportunity to get their business ideas off the ground, this shark-tank-like event will be judged by a panel of local investors made up of Pen Air’s President & CEO Stu Ramsey, Sandy Sansing Automotive Group’s David Sansing, Studer Community Development Group’s Rishy Studer, Gulf Power Company’s John Hutchinson, Warren Averett’s Cyndi Warren, Central Credit Union’s Maggie Conaghan, Nowak Enterprises’ Peter Nowak, Chick-fil-A’s Robert Barnes, Florida SBDC’s Mike Myhre, THG Investments’ Chad Henderson and Beck Property’s Justin Beck.
The students, who have been refining their business plans for nearly six months, will be pitching their proposals on stage and judged based on the pragmatism and merit of each project. Investors will be granting funds for offsetting startup costs without taking an equity position in the company.
Who: Pensacola Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) – hosted by the Greater Pensacola Chamber, Global Business Solutions, Inc., and the University of West Florida College of Business
What: Investor Panel Presentation
When: Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m., with a brief reception beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Where: The University of West Florida Center for Fine & Performing Arts, 11000 University Pkwy., Bldg. 82
Cost: Free