WENHAM, MASS. (April 14, 2014) – Gordon College has announced the finalists in their first Social Venture Challenge, a venture pitch competition designed to inspire students to start something for good. Alex Gordon from Kirkwood, Missouri is a member of one of the eight final teams selected. The Challenge began with nearly 100 students comprised of 32 teams from over 20 different academic majors. A semi-final round recently narrowed the pool of finalists down to 18 students on eight teams, in which Gordon is included.
Gordon and his team’s venture is an iPhone alarm clock application called Wake Up World that donates pennies when you snooze. “The answer to global problems is not a single person giving billions or a corporation buying publicity,” said Alex Gordon. “Wake Up World makes giving a daily habit.”
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“The Social Venture Challenge is similar to a business plan competition that many campuses offer, but ours is intentionally designed to fit the Gordon mission and students’ desire for social impact,” said Carter Crockett, Director of the new Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Gordon College. “We wanted students to dream and dare to create new ventures that could make a difference, translating their personal convictions into tangible solutions.”
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Prizes will be awarded to the top three finalists at a special pitch competition event on April 23, 2014. The first place team will win $5,000 to help bring their idea from concept to reality. The second and third place teams will win $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.
“Entrepreneurship starts with one idea and we know today’s college students have some of the best,” said Crockett. “This is one way we are equipping the change agents of tomorrow.”
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About Gordon College
Gordon College is one of the nation’s premier Christian colleges and located just north of Boston. We offer students extraordinary access to leading-edge opportunities for intellectual, professional, and leadership development to address the increasingly complex challenges of a global society. Gordon stands apart from other outstanding institutions in New England by combining an exceptional education with an informed Christian faith.