This Saturday, March 24^th at 9 a.m., Drury’s Enactus Program is hosting their 1^st Annual Enactus Entrepreneurial Hackathon at the Breech School of Business. The Enactus Team’s advisor, Kent Otto, is encouraging anyone who may be interested in showcasing their talents related to the business field or any personal ideas about economic and communal issues to attend the event.

“You’ll be creating a business idea, but no prior business experience or training is required. Participants should just bring an open mind, a creative spirit, and a passion to make the world a better place,” said, Otto.

What is a “hackathon?” In short, it is an event created to bring people together to make their great ideas into real tangible solutions. Drury’s Enactus Team thought that it would be beneficial and exciting to give students the experience of a hackathon right here on campus. The Drury Enactus Hackathon will require students to be quick on their feet and very persuasive.

“During the competitive and timed event, teams of 2-3 participants are presented with a specific community social or economic problem and work against the clock to develop a business plan that aims to solve the problem. At the end of the event, teams present their plans to a panel of judges consisting of area business leaders,” said Otto.

And just like a contest, there will be winners. The prizes include gift cards to local businesses around Springfield and even the opportunity to work with the Enactus Team to try to make their proposal a reality.

There is no fee to attend this event and anyone is able to take part. Participants should be ready to have a day full of new opportunities and the chance to gain hands-on experience.

Why stop sharing your ideas after the hackathon event is over? The Drury Enactus team is looking for inspiring and knowledgeable students to become involved.

“Drury Enactus itself is a team of students who work to solve social and economic problems through the power of entrepreneurship. Formerly known as SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), our team has developed numerous projects across the globe over the past 20 years and has consistently been recognized as a top team at Enactus national and world competitions,” said Otto.

Otto believes that students would not only be benefiting the community with their ideas, but their own future.

“Enactus students gain valuable real-world entrepreneurial and workplace experience while bettering their communities at home and around the globe. Membership is selective and prospective team members must be invited to join based on the recommendation of faculty members or current students,” said Otto.

For more information on the Drury Enactus Hackathon event or if you have any questions about what it takes to become a member of the Drury Enactus team, contact Project Leader Clayton Baumgarth (cbaumgarth@drury.edu) or Team Advisor Kent Otto (kotto@drury.edu). Feel free to also check out the Enactus at Drury University Facebook for more details.

Article by Kate Bequette