Fayetteville State University News February 22, 2016 Fayetteville State University Social Entrepreneurship Team Continues Winning Streak for 4th Consecutive Year Fayetteville State University competed in the 4th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference sponsored by the University of North Carolina General Administration on February 16, 2016. This year's FSU undergraduate team progressed to the final round, becoming one of only six finalists. Out of the 27 undergraduate student teams competing, FSU's team was among the top three, winning 2nd runner up (3rd place). In the four years of this competition, FSU is the only institution in the UNC System to have had a winning team each year, 2013-2016. This year's FSU team social entrepreneurial idea is a proposed business for an innovative product and service called RememberMe. RememberMe(tm) is a sales and subscription service designed to create "shared remembering" for Alzheimer victims and their families and caregivers through a memory book that involves the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste). This idea was originated by Maria Taro, a business major who also happens to be an employee at FSU. Taro and another business student Ashley Boyd were the presenters in the competition and Diana Anthony, another business major and team member who also happens to be an employee, attended. Prior to the competition and as part of their fall 2015 entrepreneurship class, a team developed and refined Taro's idea. For the competition, they completed a detailed business plan that included financial and return-on-investment projections. They effectively demonstrated their social entrepreneur idea and plan to judges made up of CEOs, business, and industry leaders. The team advisors and coaches were again from the School of Business and Economics, including Dr. Pamela Jackson, Mr. Greg McElveen, and Dr. Steven Phelan. They were also assisted by Johnnie Marshburn and other staff in the FSU Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). In the last three years, the winning teams have all been from the School of Business and Economics (SBE). Last year, 2015, the FSU Graduate Team won first place with a proposed social entrepreneur idea that was in collaboration with the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Shirley Chao, assistant professor and researcher in biological sciences, developed a product entitled CannaMix-a patent-pending, organic hemp-based pesticide that is non-toxic and safe for humans and collaborated with SBE to create a business plan. "I am extremely proud of what the School of Business and Economics has accomplished this year in addition to our wins in the previous three years," said Dr. Jon Young, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. "The students and faculty advisors continue to excel and appear to have a proven model for idea development and competition. Clearly, they have set the bar high for others to follow." This year's first place winner in the undergraduate team category was the NC School of Science and Math and the second place winner was from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. FSU is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. FSU offers nearly 60 degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,100 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. For more information, contact Dr. Marsha McLean, FSU Academic Affairs & Social Entrepreneurship Conference Campus Representative at (910) 672-2217 or mmclean1@uncfsu.edu.<mailto:mmclean1@uncfsu.edu> SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-592-4820 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.