CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Students and business professionals packed the Lib Jackson Student Union Theater at Coastal Carolina University on Thursday for the first “Entrepreneur Showcase: Business & Innovation on the Grand Strand” event.
It was hosted by FifthT Innovation Group in partnership with the Conway and Georgetown Innovation Centers and the Community and Business Engagement Institute at CCU.
Six local start-ups presented their products to a live audience and a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank-type” competition.
You can read more about the entrepreneurs who presented by clicking: here.
Judges asked the entrepreneurs questions about what makes the product stand out and why they chose the Grand Strand to start up.
“We think of the fact that this is a tourist area, which is true, but we struggle to broaden that economic base,” said Dean of the College of Science, Dr. Michael Roberts. “So what we’re trying to do at the Innovation Centers is help people expand businesses to try to diversify the economy.”
At the end of the night Jacob Oressie, President and CEO of D1 Recruit, was chosen as the most engaging presentation and won a $200 cash prize. His app aims to help high school athletes get recruited to play in college.
This was FifthT’s first showcase event but there are plans to hold more in the future.
