March 20, 2016, is Application Deadline for Purdue Calumet ‘Big Sell’ Entrepreneurial Competition

Nikolovski-DushanSunday, March 20, is the application deadline for entrepreneurs who want to test their start-up business idea in the Purdue University Northwest Big Sell Entrepreneurs in Action competition, scheduled, Saturday, April 16 at the Radisson Star Plaza.

Prospective entrepreneurs can apply for the competition on line at: www.thebigsell.org.

This sixth annual event is hosted by PNW’s Calumet campus. It provides a dream opportunity, according to Big Sell creator and PNW Center for Entrepreneurship Success Director Dushan Nikolovski, for 50 entrepreneurs to impress audience members and a panel of judges with a two-minute pitch of their new business idea for an opportunity to win cash prizes and start-up services.

2 competition categories
There are two competition categories: Technology and Open/Social Entrepreneurship. After morning pitches April 16, finalists will be selected to make final pitches in the afternoon. First and second place finalists in each category will share $100,000 in cash and prizes, including legal, marketing and accounting services; video production assistance and office space for one year.

New business ideas will be judged on innovation and feasibility, commercial potential and economic impact, marketability likelihood and related financial demands, as well as presentation credibility.

“Starting a business is one of life’s most exciting times,” Nikolovski said. “It appeals to the young and old, professional and novice, male and female, and the rich and not so rich. All of those individuals comprise a new entrepreneurial movement intent on improving their quality of life by becoming independent, self-reliant and financially successful.”

‘Big Sell’ sponsors
Sponsoring the competition are: City of Hammond, South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, The Idea Factory, attorney Peter J. Shakula, Lazarian CPA, Wood Phillips, Hammond Innovation Center, Hammond Development Corporation, Purdue Research Foundation, The Hub of Innovation; Center for Entrepreneurship Success, NIPSCO, Consolidated Fabrication, The Times Media Group, Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, Majestic Star Casino, Chicagoland Popcorn, Regional Development Company and Peoples Bank.

Other information is available by visiting www.thebigsell.org, emailing nikolovs@purduecal.edu, or contacting PNW’s Center for Entrepreneurship Success at 219/989-3159 or toll free at 855/608-4600, ext. 3159.

Purdue University Northwest
With recent approval by the Higher Learning Commission, Purdue University Calumet and Purdue University North Central have unified to become Purdue University Northwest (PNW), a comprehensive regional university within the Purdue University system. PNW welcomes its first class of students this fall. Current students will complete the spring semester as enrollees of Purdue Calumet in Hammond or Purdue North Central in Westville. Purdue Northwest becomes Indiana’s fifth largest public university, enrolling more than 15,000 students and offering 70+ programs of study.