Z_RIP Business Plan Competition

For fourteen years from 2002 – 2016, The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Grove City College sponsored the GCC Business Plan Competition. In response to a change in the way that startups are forming and succeeding in the real world using lean methodology, the traditional business plan competition has been retired in order to make way for the Wolverine Venture Battle, a competition that teaches students a more current methodology and approach to new venture formation. While the discipline of writing a business plan is still taught at Grove City College in our Business Planning class, business plans are more appropriate for entities that have already validated and proven their business model, which is not the case in most startups. As such, we bid our GCC Business Plan Competition a fond farewell. (Plus, the new name is WAY better, isn’t it?)


2016 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition Winners

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($5,000): Carest (Ben Che ’16)
  • Second Place ($3,000): LightBrush (Nate Bergey ’16, Devin Bergey ’16, Drew Risinger ’16, Megan Lynskey ’16, & Micah Koegler ’16)
  • Third Place ($2,000): Immerse (Logan Hammerschmitt ’16, Ben Tobias ’19, & Erik Carlstrom ’16)

*In addition to cash prizes, winners at each level will receive professional legal, accounting and web-based consulting services.

Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($5,000): Life Launch (Elisabeth O’Brien ’16, Hannah Vaccaro ’18, & Victoria O’Brien ’17)
  •  Second Place ($3,000): Restored Living (Amy Rumbaugh ’16, Bryan Thomas ’16, & Amy Trageser ’16)
  • Third Place ($2,000): Karenge Specialties (Turner Dalmaso ’18 & Travis Yohey ’18)

*In addition to cash prizes, winners at each level will receive professional legal, accounting and web-based consulting services.

2015 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($5,000): Free Feet Shoes (Melanie Barber ‘17, Matthew Leverknight ’17, Thomas Umhau ‘16)
  • Second Place ($3,000): Carefinder (Evan Avery ‘16, Benjamin Marasco ‘16)
  • Third Place ($2,000): Warmsoles (Taylor Leick ‘15)

*In addition to cash prizes, winners at each level will receive professional legal, accounting and web-based consulting services.

Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($5,000): Kinbox (Andrea Howe ‘16, Jordan Jensen ‘16, Karolina Lagerquist’16)
  •  Second Place ($3,000): Lunchtime (Ashley Henderson ’16, Haley Nerlich ’16, Taylor Stein ‘15)
  • Third Place ($2,000): Scribble Scrubs (Jackson Clemmer ’18, Matt Pennypacker ‘18, Dale Reese ‘17, Abby Schiela ’18, Megan Smith ‘17)

*In addition to cash prizes, winners at each level will receive professional legal, accounting and web-based consulting services.

2014 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($15,100)*: HealthQuest (Chloe Smiley ’15 & Rebecca Torre ’15)
  • Second Place ($1,000): ARCH Accessories (Chadwyck Cobb ’14, Luke Swadener ’14 & Noah Walker ’14)
  • Third Place ($750): Light It Up Dance Studio (Zoe Simek ’14, Elisabeth Trease ’14, Whitney Blankenship ’14 & Tyler Vielguth ’14)

*Includes in-kind legal, consulting, accounting and web-based services valued at $13,100.

Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($15,100)*: Kin Threads (Scott Inderbitzen ’14 & Chloe Smiley ’15)
  •  Second Place ($1,000): Sunday School Hub (Tyler Vielguth ‘14)
  • Third Place ($750): Hard Rock Brushes (Sam Blood ’16, Laura Mamo ’14, & Thomas Umhau ’16)

*Includes in-kind legal, consulting, accounting and web-based services valued at $13,100.

 2013 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition

 Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($15,100)*: Home and Healthy (Nate Cowling, Joanna Abraham & Adam Hadley)
  • Second Place ($1,000): Matatu Enterprises (Joshua Sauer, Alexander Moore & Tristan Ruml)
  • Third Place ($750): Re+Artists (Benjamin Strevy & John Green)

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($15,100*): SetTrek (Noah Walker, Erika Bastian, Chadwyck Cobb & Chesterton Cobb)
  • Second Place ($1,000): Sand Chariot (Victor Nardini, Mike Trombly & Brian Wilkes)

  • Third Place ($750): TravelPlay (Joshua Fischer)
*Includes in-kind legal, consulting, accounting and web-based services valued at $13,100.

2012 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition

Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($8,350*): One Sonogram (Gret Glyer)
  • Second Place ($1,000): Rinjani Footwear (Molly Harrington, Mack Lloyd, Alex Moore & Luke Stoltzfus)
  • Third Place ($500): ECDP (Penn Grove Conference Center) (David Schools)

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($8,350*): Amilie Clean Cosmetics (Rachel Brockhage & Sharon Seiter)
  • Second Place ($1,000): Sprout Haven (Alexander Cochran, Rebecca Torre & Chloe Smiley)
  • Third Place ($500): Teapifany (Joanna Abraham, Brendan Marasco, Sharon Seiter, Elise Stanchak & Leah VanEerden)

*Includes in-kind legal, consulting, accounting and web-based services valued at $6,850.

2011 Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition

Social Enterprise:

  • First Place ($3,000)*: Thenga Energy (Kyle Baer, Rachel Paul & Chris Marasco)
  • Second Place ($2,000): Funds of Faith (Joseph Dorris)3rd place ($1,000) ~ CARE (Marc Mentzer)

Commercial Enterprise:

  • First Place ($3,000)*: ModPod Homes (Michael King, Jayna Grassel & Ryan Misenheimer)
  • Second Place ($2,000): (Sharon Seiter)
  • Third Place ($1,000): Tora Kata (Jonathan Cutler & Phillip Kinney)

*First Place winners also received in-kind legal, consulting, accounting and web-based services valued at $6,750.

2010’s 8th Annual Business Plan Competition

Nonprofit Category:

  • First Place ($4,500): Women Absolutely Prepared (Philip Tan & Alexander Cochran)
  • Second Place ($3,000): International Education Connection (Mark Pearson)
  • Third Place Tie (Split $2,000 total prize): Camp GROW (Jayna Grassel, Laura Blank, CJ Beatty and Julie Shenk)Island Leather Works (Kevin Hoffman and Brittany Hayward)

For-Profit Category:

  • First and Second Place Tie (Split $7,500 total prize): LimeCuda (Blake Imeson and David Kuhta) and epicycle Tours (Joel Shindeldecker and Matthew McNicoll)
  • Third Place ($2,000): Flat Waves (Matthew Kennedy and William Burgess)