Students rank in international competition

Senior marketing majors Emily Scarboro and Abbey Benton put their skills to the test in the fourth annual Global Innovation Forum at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. from Aug. 10 – 12.The event focused on teaching students entrepreneurship and sustainability. It was established by Athgo International, a nonprofit group focused on entrepreneurial ventures and looking to educate aspiring young entrepreneurs on creating eco-friendly products that would benefit society. Young people from 32 countries participated in the three-day event and many unique products were developed.

“I decided to participate because I wanted to learn more about sustainability,” Benton said. “I knew the basics, but I felt expanding my knowledge on the subject and discovering ways to incorporate them into business would be valuable.”

The seniors participated in different departments. Scarboro worked with an international team to create a product in the “Climate Change and Constructive Entrepreneurship” competition, while Benton discovered her interviewing skills during her internship there. She worked on her TV personality as an anchor for the forum.
Scarboro’s team placed third out of 12 with their “U-Power” product. The device uses pedal power from a bicycle or treadmill to fuel electronic devices such as MP3 players or smartphones. The oal of this product is to conserve energy while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

The team summed up its idea in a three-minute presentation to 10 venture capitalists, who determined that creating their product was plausible and offered Scarboro’s team $1,000 to move forward. Scarboro and her team continue to work out the kinks in their “U-Power.” They have until January of 2012 to finish turning their vision into a reality.

“It was a really good opportunity,” Scarboro said. “We were exposed to so many different business executives and influential people from all around the world.”

While Scarboro worked tirelessly to prepare her product, Benton was surprised to discover she had a knack for being in front of the camera.

“I love a challenge, and this conference was certainly just that,” Benton said. “My oral and listening skills learned in various classes throughout my attendance at Georgia College were put to the test.”

The girls are appreciative of Doreen Sams, associate professor of marketing, for encouraging them to participate in the first place and sponsoring their trip.

“They are the kind of students you’re proud to have a little part in helping them succeed,” Sams said. “This competition is a great opportunity for experiential learning. They did wonderful, and it was very exciting to see them in their element.”

Since the forum is open to students from all over the world, it exposed Scarboro and Benton to many different ways of thinking and experimenting with sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Both students greatly benefited from this experience and agree that they would do it again.

“It was an amazing experience,” Benton said. “If given the opportunity, I would definitely return.”

Posted by MorganWilson on Sep 22 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.