translate this page: 
This past Friday, 25 July 2008 the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards hosted a virtual competition for the United Kingdom’s top undergraduate student entrepreneurs. The students presented their brilliant success and skills as entrepreneurs to a panel of CEOs and Presidents. The judges panel comprised of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) members from the EO London Chapter. The judges were thoroughly impressed with each of the student entrepreneurs and recognized upon evaluation Kieran O’Niell from the University of Bath as the competition winner.
The United Kingdom competition results:
1st Place: Kieran O’Neill - University of Bath - Founder of www.PlayFire.com, www.HolyLemon.com, and www.PSU.com
2nd Place: David Hawkins - University of Portsmouth - Owner and Founder of Boat Care UK (www.BoatcareUK.com)
3rd Place: Matthew Mills - Durham University - Owner and Founder of Sailing Sorted.
4th Place: Stuart Johnston - University of Worcester - Owner and Founder of www.BlueskyWebStudios.co.uk)
About the 1st Place Winner:
Kieran O’Neill started as a young entrepreneur with his first company www.HolyLemon.comwhen he was only 15 years old. The company is an innovative video sharing website, similar to YouTube.com, except Kieran founded it two years before YouTube was launched. Before Kieran eventually sold this website he was receiving over 100,000 daily viewers.
Kieran writes,”Whilst growing HolyLemon in 2004, I also co-founded another business with long-time friend Seb Hayes. It is an online magazine for PlayStation fans: PlayStation Universe (www.psu.com). We’ve grown the publication to 1.5 million monthly readers, with editorial spanning North America, Europe and Asia. As well as the PSU.com property, we’ve also built a very strong games discussion community, www.PS3Forums.com. It currently has 85,000 members, 3 million conversations, with over 150,000 new ones each month.”
Currently, Mr. O’Neill is highly focused on PlayFire.com which in 2007 he co-founded with both Seb Hayes (from PSU/PS3Forums) and Ben Phillips. Playfire.com is a social networking website designed entirely for video gamers. Playfire.com has a team of 7 people who work full-time to provide the highest quality experience to this online community of gamers. At PlayFire.com you can:
- Get a killer profile, with in-game stats, custom themes, favorite genre graphs and more.
- Track all your favorite games, and be notified of new discussion, videos, news stories etc for the games you care about.
- Follow your friends and online buddies, and stay up to date with what all your buddies are playing, saying and doing.
Beyond his entrepreneurial achievements, Kieran also gives back to the community and has been using his experience gained over the past 5 years to advise the charity The Reading Agency, who aim to promote and encourage reading amongst young people. They are building a social networking website to connect reading groups all over the UK, and Kieran has spent a lot of time working with them to ensure it is a huge success.
The United States showcased many strong student entrepreneurs from universities across the country during the two GSEA competitions in June.
The winners for round five are:
First Place: Ethan Heintzelman - an Accounting student at Brigham Young University, Utah - owner of Elite Express which is a 71 employee postal service in Ecuador. Elite’s strategy is to provide a quality service and unparalleled customer satisfaction. Elite Courier has positioned itself as the quality brand of mail delivery in Ecuador. (www.Elite-Courier.net)
Second Place: Ryan Unger- a Visual Communication Design student at Kent State University - owner of Punchkick Interactive Inc. Punchkick Interactive is a full-service mobile marketing firm that creates text-message campaigns, custom mobile software, mobile WAP sites, Bluetooth marketing, and more. (www.PunchkickInteractive.com)
Wildcard Winner: Michael Wirzburger - a Management student at Bryant University - owner of ProFigures Toys and Collectibles (www.ProFigures.com)
The winners for round six are:
First Place: Dominic Coryell - a Finance/Accounting student at Northeastern University - owner of Husky Express which offers personal on-demand services focusing on automated laundry and dry cleaning delivery to digital lockers. Dominic launched his business in 1999 and now has over 25+ locations from coast to coast. (www.HuskyExpress.com)
Second Place: Ben Frein- a Computer Science/Finance student at the University of Northern Iowa - a serial entrepreneur and owner several online businesses. Frein’s primary company E-Holdings, LLC is a multi-tiered company that emphasizes website design, website hosting, and runs multiple e-commerce businesses which include (www.BellyBling.net; www.GreatMiniatures.com; www.WholesaleCPUs.com) .
Wildcard Winner: Arthur Ebeling - a Business Administration student at Shepherd University - owner of Ebeling International, Inc- Eastern Isles Teas and Tonics (www.EasternIsles.com)
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards congratulates all of the students who participated in the virtual competitions. The GSEA and Entrepreneurs’ Organization thanks the entrepreneurs who judged the competitions and provided value feedback to the presenting students.
The GSEA is currently accepting applications and the global deadline for application submission is
31 August 2008.
For Australia students who would like to compete in August, the application submission deadline is
1 August 2008.
YOU CAN BE NOMINATED TO COMPETE AT WWW.GSEA.ORG/NOMINATE
This past Friday, 23 May 2008, the GSEA held the fourth round of USA virtual competitions. The competition brought student entrepreneurs from across the country to present their businesses. The students were evaluated on their ability to overcome obstacles, ability to scale their business to one million dollars in annual revenues or to the next million dollars in annual revenues, quality of presentation and overall impression of the student entrepreneur by our elite judges.
The competition hosted our judges at Chapman University in California. The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards would like to thank Dr. P. K. Shukla who is the Director of the Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics and Associate Professor of Management in the Argyros School of Business and Economics for his efforts in coordinating the competition for our judges at the university.
The virtual competition round four winners are:
The first place winner is Jon Goodman who is an economics student from St. John’s University. Jon is the owner and founder of JGoods Custom Shoes and Uncommon Clothing. JGoods Customs is the leader in the custom sneaker industry. From high quality hand-painted sneakers to do-it-yourself customization kits, there is no better place to satisfy your custom shoe needs.
The second place winner is Misa Chien who is a Global and French studies student from the University of California - Los Angeles. Misa is the owner and founder of Miss Misa which is a unique jewelry line inspired by cultures and traditions from around the world. Miss Misa’s current collection, the Je T’aime Collection, is inspired by French culture, art and architecture.
The wild card winner is Kristie Carter who is the co-owner of Aadvanced Limousines. Carter, a student from DePauw University, continues to operate and grow Aadvanced Limousines which provides chauffeured limousine and charter services in Indianapolis and surrounding areas. Aadvanced Limousines offers transportation services for weddings, proms, birthdays, parties, or any other corporate or special event with four elite vehicles.
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is currently accepting nominations and applications for our competitions in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Student entrepreneurs from all countries are welcome to submit an online application due to the continuing expansion of our program and sponsorship integration for international applicants to compete at the 2008 Global Finals.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE FOR THE 2008 GLOBAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS!
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards program held an exclusive table inside the Grand Ball Room at The Palace Hotel during the 3 day Global Leadership Conference hosted by Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
The conference held May 8-10 was an opportunity for EO Chapter leaders, EO Chairpersons, and Accelerator Champions to network with one another and have fun, learn from special keynote speakers, honored guests, and gain structured learning to shape the future for Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
It is important you know that the EO theme for 2008 is guiding your business from success to significance.
Special guest speakers were Ben Comen (student and long distance runner) and Craig Newmark (founder of Craig’s List).
Our keynote speaker was Ken Blanchard (best selling author and much more):
The One Minute Entrepreneur
For years, mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard has been a global leader in workplace learning and leadership effectiveness solutions. He has helped thousands of companies improve their performance, productivity and bottom-line results.
Combined, Ken’s books have sold more than 18 million copies and have been translated in more than 25 languages. In 2005, Ken was inducted into Amazon’s hall of fame as one of the “Top 25 Bestselling Authors of All Time.” Ken is the founder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm. He and his wife, Margie, live in San Diego, California, USA, and work with their son, Scott, and daughter, Debbie.
Below is a picture of the exclusive GSEA table - allowed as the only booth in the Grand Ball Room.
Nominations for 2008 are still open!
April 25th round three of the USA virtual competitions for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards was conducted. The competition hosted Entrepreneurs Organization EO member judges from across the United States primarily from New York state including judges from Oklahoma and Texas.
The student entrepreneurs involved in these competitions have fully considered the value in spending their time to apply and prepare for the competitions, even as business owners and as busy students, understanding that working on their business will effectively catipult them into entrepreneurial eliteness.
The virtual competition round three winners are:
The first place winner is Brent Foster from Arizona State University, who is the owner and founder of Xenula Corporation. Xenula Corporation installs Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance systems and provides broadband wireless equipment and services across the nation.
The second place winner is Kevin Pringles, also from Arizona State University, who is the majority owner of Hydro Headwear LLC; Pringle’s company designs, markets, and coordinates the supply chain of a new and unique line of cooling hats and apparel with patent pending water absorbent technology.
The wild card winner is Lucia Gallardo of Inland Empire Auto Body and Paint. Gallardo, a student from California State University-San Bernardino, developed the business with her husband Isaac two years ago and is now experiencing substantial growth.
The wild card winners are given a guaranteed opportunity to compete again later in the year at the wild card virtual competitions scheduled for September 12th, 19th, and 22nd. The winner of each competition will be sent all expenses paid to the Global Finals competition in Chicago, Illinois during November 5th and 6th, 2008.
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is still accepting nominations and applications for 2008 both internationally and for the United States virtual competitions. As the Global Finals draw closer with each new round of competition securing the Global Finalists, the time to submit your application is NOW. We are hosting two more pre-summer USA virtual competitions and three wild card competitions in September.
Have you truly considered the unprecedented value in gaining international exposure for your business and networking with the most influential organization of entrepreneurs’ from around the world?
Last Thursday, the second USA virtual competition for 2008 was held by the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. The competition hosted a panel of five judges including Entrepreneurs’ Organization members and university alumni at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who challenged the student competitors during the scheduled question and answer periods. The judges observed videos and slide show presentations from the competitors as integrated through live webinar conferencing technology. The student entrepreneurs’ bestowed impressive accomplishments with their proficient communication abilities and were given a total of 21 minutes presentation time.
Regional prizes include cash, mentorship and access to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s world-class entrepreneurship training program, Accelerator. Finalists in the regional competitions have a chance to compete for the global prize, which includes $10,000 in cash plus donated prizes and services amounting to $100,000.
The virtual competition round two winners are:
The first place winner is Craig Martyn from California State University-Fullerton, who is the owner of BLMA Models; the company produces model train accessories on a large scale.
The second place winner is Scott Skelly from University of Wisconsin-Platteville, who is the owner of Corn Mazes America; a company which services the Ag-Tourism industry.
The wildcard winner is Mike Danielson from University of St. Thomas, who is the co-owner of Epic Potential Inc. which provides event management solutions and execution services.
These fine student entrepreneurs’ show leadership throughout their communities, to peers, to their families, at school and to all who strive to make the most of their time reaching for personal aspirations. An entrepreneur, by definition is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. We at Entrepreneurs’ Organization engage leading entrepreneurs’ to learn and grow through executive education and other tools for business owners. Our influential global network of EO members, Accelerator members, EO staff, officers and supporters, embrace student entrepreneurship and are proud to coordinate the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.
Nominations and applications to compete in the USA virtual competitions for 2008 are still being accepted including nominations for our other global competitions happening throughout the year. Click here to start the nomination process and support student entrepreneurship through sponsored competition(s).
The first ever virtual competition held by the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards was presented today. The competition opened at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time as hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Undergraduate student entrepreneurs from across the United States of America competed for two all expenses paid positions to compete at the Global Finals against other national champions from around the world.
Benefits for the winning students include cash, Entrepreneurs’ Organization mentorship, entrance into the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Accelerator Program for one year, feedback from our judges panel and international recognition for their businesses.
The virtual competition round one winners are:
William Fikhman from California State University; franchise owner of iSold-It in Agoura Hills, California.
Cameron Porter from Brigham Young University - Idaho; owner of Snoshack Oasis, LLC.
The wild card nomination goes to Steven Binus from Walla Walla University in Washington; owner of His Garden Bakery and Cafe.
The competitors each had 21 minutes to communicate with the esteemed judges panel who consisted of highly successful entrepreneurs. The inauguration of the virtual platform for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards competition was a successful combination of teleconferencing and webinar technology organized with the help of Premiere Global Services Inc. and VCall.com.
Great adulation is deserved by our round one competitors who have accomplished many successes through the spirit of entrepreneurship and concords in truly ‘building a business.’
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards will host seven more competitions through to June 6th where 28 more undergraduate student entrepreneurs’ will compete for the same prizes. The odds of winning to compete at the Global Finals in Chicago, Illinois at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place are high with 14 more winners to come plus our wild card winners.
Nominations and applications are still being accepted to compete in the virtual competitions and for all of the competitions from around the world. Get nominated and send your application in soon for your best chances compete.
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards has recently added new information about the 2008 competitions in Australia and the eight virtual competitions in the United States of America.
With the amount of cash and prizes available at the Global Finals for 2008 in Chicago, Illinois student entrepreneurs are taking the initiative to get nominated and to send in their applications. To increase the odds of taking home the Global Championship steadfast application submission is recommended; especially for those top entrepreneurs who intend on competing in the USA virtual competitions as the 2008 launch is on for FRI 28 March.
*For more information about the three Australia Regional Competitions conducted in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney by the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards click the ‘Awards Information’ link in the navigation bar and click ‘2008 Competitions’ or simply - click here.
*For more information about the eight United States virtual competitions including prizes, dates, competition platform, and the benefits of winning your virtual competition to compete (all expenses paid) in the Global Finals - click here.
Remember: Self nomination is accepted and updated 2008 applications must be submitted after nomination promptly. Good luck to all our Global Student Entrepreneur Awards applicants.
The Entrepreneurs’ Organization has launched the 2008 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. The program which started back in the 90’s aims to recognize the leading student entrepreneurs on the planet. In the United States we are looking to identify the ‘top 100 student entrepreneurs’ who will be paired down through virtual and live competitions where students will present their business to EO Member Judges. In particular they will have 30 minutes to present on their vision, obstacles overcome, their financials and where they are driving their company.
From the virtual and live competitions the top 16 student entrepreneurs will go to compete against student entrepreneurs from Australia, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Japan and other countries November 5-6th in Chicago, IL.
Nominate now to secure your spot in the virtual competitions. www.gsea.org/nominate
Last year there were over 750 nominations globally and it is expected nominations will reach 1000. The growth of the GSEA competitions is rapidly setting global benchmarks for student entrepreneur competitions.
Best wishes to all nominees who carry forward with their application submission for 2008.
Peter Thomas the Chairman of Emeritus of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and recent inductee into the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Hall of Fame for his entrepreneurial accomplishments in real sstate including the development of the Century 21 Real Estate in Canada and the Globe, Samoth Capital and Real Estate Developments including the Four Seasons in Scottsdale has became the newest partner and supporter of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.
Our student entrepreneur competition received Thomas’s support following the GSEA Global Finals in late 2007. Thomas who is credited with helping launch the Chapter network for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization is pleased to be supporting GSEA through his LifePilot Organization which is dedicated to Values Based Leadership. As Peter says “When your values are clear everything else will follow.”
