Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020
Annual competition awards business savvy high schoolers
Business-minded high school students can win a full, four-year tuition scholarship to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø in the 2021 Norm Brodsky Business Concept Competition.
The annual competition challenges high school seniors, juniors and sophomores to develop an innovative business idea and present it in front of a panel of judges. Seniors will compete for the grand prize of a full, four-year tuition scholarship, while juniors and sophomores will compete for cash prizes and the chance to automatically be entered into the senior competition when eligible.
As this year's competition is entirely virtual, it opens up the opportunity for additional applicants worldwide.
"While the coronavirus pandemic has changed the delivery method for the competition, it actually allows us to have entries globally," says Lisa Teach '02, '09, director of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø's Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and a visiting professor. "This is my third year managing this competition after serving as a judge previously, and I am continually blown away by the creativity we're seeing from the high school students."
Entrants must submit a 400-word description of their product or service at rider.edu/BrodskyCompetition by Nov. 15, 2020. High school seniors must also apply to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø to be eligible for the scholarship. The top five finalists from each group will present their ideas in front of a panel of judges virtually and the winner will be announced on Jan. 30, 2021.
The competition is sponsored by alumnus and entrepreneur Norm Brodsky ’64, the namesake of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø's business school, the Norm Brodsky College of Business, and his wife and business partner, Elaine. It is open to students who apply to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø with any major because Norm Brodsky believes that entrepreneurship can be found in any person and any industry.
"I wholeheartedly believe that entrepreneurship is a mindset," he says. "Entrepreneurs aren't just people who start their own businesses, but people in organizations who develop new ideas and solutions. Each year, I am thrilled to see that mindset is alive and well within these high school students."
For more information about the competition, please contact Teach at teachli@rider.edu.