PLAINVIEW – Got a great business idea that could impact the Plainview economy?
Wayland Baptist University’s applied entrepreneurship program, NexGen Spark, might be able to help you develop that business idea, and you could win $5,000 to help bring your idea to market.
NexGen Spark seeks entrepreneurs for its Spring 2023 Business Model Competition. Selected applicants will work with a team of Wayland students to develop their business model. Final plans are presented to a panel of community judges, and the entrepreneur with the best plan is awarded $5,000 for use in starting the new endeavor. The students on the winning team who helped develop the winning business model earn a small cash prize.
The competition is open to entrepreneurs with an idea for creating a new business or expanding an existing business. However, all ideas must benefit the Plainview economy.
NexGen Spark is a program developed by the Wayland Baptist University School of Business and the Office of Intuitional Development. It is sponsored by the Plainview/Hale County Economic Development Corporation.
Chris and Sue Lewellen have seen how NexGen Spark brings business ideas to life. In 2022, they had a vision to establish an organization that would work with the city’s homeless population to provide food, shelter, and training to assist individuals get back on their feet. So, they applied for the business model competition last year and their idea was accepted. Teamed with Wayland students, they watched their idea evolve into a viable mission project in Plainview. The Hope House is a non-profit organization serving both the transient and long-term homeless populations in Plainview.
Now, it’s time for NexGen Spark to make another dream come true, whether it’s another non-profit organization like The Hope House, a start-up business, or an existing Plainview business in need of innovative expansion. If you have a business idea and would like to apply, visit www.wbu.edu/spark. Applications are due March 3, 2023.
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