ANNOUNCING THE MARET CENTER ENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGE!!

Crowder College’s MARET Center (Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology) and the Neosho Chamber of Commerce announce a call for new business ideas that may be incubated and developed in the new MARET Incubator, located on the Crowder College campus.  The winner(s) will receive a prize of $2500 and the chance to present to investors so that the idea can be developed into a viable business venture.  Participants will also benefit from an “Entrepreneur Bootcamp” where they will be shown the latest methods for launching and building a company based on innovative technology.

We are looking for entrepreneurs who have viable business ideas, based on evolutionary or revolutionary technology.  These ideas can be in almost any technological area, although those ideas related to energy, reduced energy consumption, and alternative energy usage, are of special interest.  We will also consider other types of technology-based business ideas.

There will be an informational meeting on October 3, 2013, at 5:30 pm in the MARET Center building on the Crowder, Neosho Campus. Deadline to submit ideas will be December 20.  Ideas will be reviewed by a committee of business and technology experts who will evaluate each one and determine if the ideas are suitable for our incubator.  Those selected will be invited to participate in a weekend-long (two, eight hour days) Entrepreneur Bootcamp, to teach the entrepreneur what is necessary to develop and launch a viable product, based on evolutionary or revolutionary technologies.

After the bootcamp, those selected will be mentored for a month, to develop a presentation to ‘pitch’ their idea to a group of investors.  The investors will decide if they desire to invest in any of the ideas.  A separate committee will also evaluate the presentations to determine viability.  If your idea is determined to be viable, the entrepreneur will receive a certificate, an invitation to use the incubation services at MARET, and $2500.

Please send a paragraph describing your business idea, the technology, and target market to:  Crowder College, MARET Center, Entrepreneur Challenge, 601 Laclede Ave., Neosho, MO 64850; or email to MARET@crowder.edu and put Entrepreneur in the reference box.  Please include a paragraph describing the idea, the technology and the target market.  Please include a good way to contact you. (mail address, email address, phone number).

The MARET Center was established in 1992 at Crowder College by the Missouri State Legislature in recognition of over a decade of advancement of alternative energy applications including the construction and racing of several solar powered vehicles.  The Center has 3 parts to its mission:  education and training; applied research; and economic development.  For over 20 years, the Center has engaged in the first two.  Now, with the completion of the new MARET Center building, which has space for an incubator, the third mission will now be in the forefront.