Ouachita Stories

Five finalists competed in Ouachita Baptist University’s second annual Business Plan Competition. A total of $9,000 was awarded to three student teams for their entrepreneurial ideas.

First-place winner Abby Turner, a senior business marketing major from Little Rock, was awarded $4,000. With the help of faculty advisor Dr. Chris Brune, assistant professor of finance, Turner created “iPlan It,” an application that assists in wedding planning.

Second place was awarded to the team of Reuben Cash, a senior accounting major from Nashville, Tenn; Joshua Stewart, a junior computer science major from Floresville, Texas; and Neil Wacaster, a junior business marketing major from Hot Springs. The second-place team received $3,000 for their business plan, Ordertronics, LLC. Misti Clark, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, served as the faculty advisor for the second place team.

Third place was awarded to Callie Stephens, a senior mass communications major from Conway. Stephens won $2,000 for her Twigs & Tulips plan. With the assistance of her faculty advisor, Dr. Chris Brune, she created a plan for a floral and event design company.

The three winning plans will advance to the Henderson State University competition on Feb. 1. “I expect that our teams will do well against HSU's teams,” said Bryan McKinney, dean of the Hickingbotham School of Business. “Whether these teams win or lose, they gain tremendous real world experience through this opportunity.”

After the Henderson competition, students are encouraged to enter the statewide competition, The Governor’s Cup. It is open to graduate and undergraduate teams and will be held in March.

The second annual Ouachita competition received 11 entries compared to last year’s five entries. “I was pleased but not surprised by the increase.” McKinney said. “I hope this competition grows each year.”

Students from multiple disciplines competed, showcasing the caliber of students at Ouachita as well as the interdisciplinary nature of successful businesses. Students and advisors from business, mass communications and computer science programs made up the winning teams this year.

“Giving cash prizes is nice, but that's not the ultimate goal of these Business Plan Competitions,” McKinney said. “I'd love to see several thriving businesses take root because of our competition.”

For more information about the Business Plan Competition, contact Bryan McKinney at [email protected].

By Lori Hilburn