The Annual UNC System Social Entrepreneurship Conference is Underway!

UNC Charlotte students interested in solving community social problems are invited to form teams to compete for the right to represent Charlotte at the 2016 University of North Carolina Social Entrepreneurship Conference. Statewide winners will receive cash prizes and public recognition.

The competition is open to teams of up to ten members including UNC Charlotte students and community representatives. Teams must be led by either undergraduate or graduate student members. 

Teams will compete in one of three categories:

• Undergraduate—address community social challenges, compete for $3000 first prize and additional cash prizes;
• Graduate Student— address community social challenges, compete for $5000 first prize and additional cash prizes;
• Financial Literacy—develop a new or improved approach to strengthening financial literacy in the community, compete for a single prize.

Teams will develop a business plan to address a social problem facing the immediate Charlotte community, the multi-county region, or North Carolina. The business plan may ultimately serve needs beyond the community. The plan will define the problem and the proposed solution including market size and value proposition. It will include a financial analysis and a social impact analysis and will address implementation. The proposal may be for a new nonprofit or for-profit organization or for an extension of an existing organization.

Student teams are encouraged to engage community stakeholders to determine needs, service gaps, and possible solutions. Teams may include non-student community members within the ten-person team limit.

UNC Charlotte student teams interested in competing are invited to attend an information session on October 30, 11:00, in PORTAL Room 242. Teams will receive guidance from the 49er Student Business Incubator located in the PORTAL building and from additional coaches and webinars. 

On December 1, UNC Charlotte will select teams to participate in the statewide competition. These finalists will receive in-depth coaching from the Small Business and Technology Development Center staff during December and January. Final business plans for the statewide competition will be completed in mid-January 2016.

Teams will compete during the UNC Social Entrepreneurship Conference scheduled for February 16, 2016 at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. Teams in the statewide competition will be judged based on their plans and their presentations to expert judging panels.

A UNC Charlotte undergraduate team won second place in the 2014 state competition with their Solar Traffic Light (http://engr.uncc.edu/news/solar-traffic-light-team-places-second-2014-unc-social-entrepreneurship-conference).