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Teams battle for $10,000 in Messiah's 5th annual Impact Venture Challenge

Messiah College invites you to its 5th annual Impact Venture Challenge, a LIVE, "Shark Tank"-style business plan competition full of students with entrepreneurial spirits. Winners will be awarded a total of $10,000 in seed funding to explore innovative solutions to critical impact areas facing society. Typical impact areas include health and wellness; sustainability; disability; water and sanitation; agriculture and food; energy; education; waste management; and inequality and poverty alleviation. The funding is intended to enable teams to launch their social ventures into reality.

The competition has been narrowed down to four finalists. During the live event, which is sponsored by , finalists will present a six-minute pitch and participate in a Q&A with a team of five distinguished judges. Prize money will be awarded during the event.

Details of the event

When: May 3 at 7 p.m. (Also join us for the "Experience the Entrepreneurs" meet-and-greet with the finalists at 5:45 p.m. in Parmer Atrium.)
Where: Parmer Hall, located in the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts

NOTE: The event will also be live-streamed on the . 

ºÚÁÏÍø the finalists

Cafe Five 20

Cafe Five 20 is a mobile coffee cart employing women upon release from prison, fostering an environment that promotes honesty and integrity by creating new beginnings. Their services will reach community members that may not have access to quality coffee at work, or could make an exciting addition to local events and weddings. Combining high-quality drinks, convenience and a passion for second chances, they believe Five 20 will be a successful addition to any venue.

Dynasty X

Dynasty X is a clothing company based in China that specializes in clothing lines for women who are plus size by Chinese standards. Through the use of their products, they aim to eliminate the stigma of plus size women by promoting body positivity and self-love for all women. Their products fill a distinct market space that is unoccupied by many other clothing brands that focus on the stereotypical body shapes emphasized in Chinese culture.

Learning Link

Learning Link is a secure online platform that connects college students to families of middle and high school students. By providing authentic, in-person tutoring sessions, learners gain valuable knowledge and college students purposefully utilize their academic skills. Learning Link empowers individuals to take charge of their education by offering below-market pricing for users and competitive earnings for tutors. They extend equal opportunities by providing free tutoring sessions to motivated students in need of financial assistance.

Sliced Orange

Sliced Orange is a lifestyle clothing brand that focuses on encouraging people to embrace their individuality and empower all those who wear it. In order to live out its motto of "Enjoy Life By The Slice," the brand aims to work with local artists in order to create special edition clothing designs, accessories, etc. that allow the artists to earn personal profit as well as money for nonprofit charities.

ºÚÁÏÍø the judges

Tina Campbell

Tina Campbell is the co-executive director of ASSETS in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She came to ASSETS in 2015 as the director of development, and helped the organization grow by over 300% in the past four years. She created the development program at ASSETS and has been instrumental in the creation of financial and operational systems as ASSETS has grown from a staff of four to 14. Campbell is passionate about using business for good in our local community and has always had an interest in economic development and microfinance, which is reflected in her career path.

Jane Koppenheffer

Jane Koppenheffer assumed the position of president and CEO for The Insurance Alliance of Central Pennsylvania in 2004. The Insurance Alliance Network is a collective of 10 premier independent agencies located in the central and greater Lehigh Valley regions of Pennsylvania. Koppenheffer has demonstrated a strong commitment to insurance education, having earned a Master of Science in insurance management from Boston University in 2005, as well as numerous designations (CPCU, Associate in Research and Planning, Associate in Automation Management, and Associate in Reinsurance).

Victoria Lindstrom

As founder of Suasion, Victoria Lindstrom has extensive experience in marketing and communications. She is also experienced in interpersonal communications, coaching and facilitation techniques. In 2008, she determined her passion for creating positive social and individual change could best be served by starting her own firm. Suasion creates communications and experiences that change the way people think. Suasion has received broad attention for work that has resulted in thousands of people being positively impacted by the firm’s communications.

Deryl Stoltzfus

Deryl Stoltzfus is a partner at Hershey Farm and IPF Investments located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He’s also the president of Makin’ Whoopie Pies creation which has several locations located throughout Pennsylvania and Delaware. Stoltzfus has been a part of the hospitality industry for over 25 years and enjoys the challenge of how the industry constantly evolves and changes. He is a Messiah alum. While attending Messiah, he majored in psychology and played on the men's soccer team. His daughter Shae is currently a freshman at Messiah, and majoring in business. She also plays for the women’s soccer team.

John Wilson

John Wilson is a business leader and scholar with 23 years of experience in the software and services industries. He strives to bring a multi-dimensional perspective on market dynamics and organizational design concepts that help businesses to produce profitable results. Currently, he is the director of global compliance technologies at Vertex, providing oversight to the development of Cloud and on-premise technologies. His experience includes market engagement to support technology development and revenue generation. This includes leading efforts to engage with corporate tax leaders of Fortune 1,000 companies, to examine business challenges in the context of global operations and to quantify the business case/ROI for tax transformation investments.

For more information

To learn more about the Impact Venture Challenge, go to www.impactventurechallenge.com.