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Putting their education to good use even before they earn their degrees, 10 teams of student entrepreneurs, including Millersville University’s Rendell Weaver, were in the running for the $10,000 top prize in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education’s eighth annual Student Business Plan Competition.
Weaver’s ideas was “Clarae’s Drive-Thru Coffee,” – A drive-thru/walk-up coffee kiosk that offers artisan, air roasted coffee drinks and complementary homemade food items to commuters and Penn State Harrisburg students.
The winner of the competition was announced April 3 and went to Salih Salaam of West Chester. Second place and a prize of $5,000 went to Weaver. The awards ceremony was held at the Dixon University Center.
“I’ve been working with a team from the Harrisburg area, all of which have a vision for a coffee shop social enterprise that serves great coffee while also investing in the Harrisburg community through a mentorship/training program,” explained Weaver. “Developing a business plan for the PASSHE Business Plan Competition has motivated me to apply my three years of college to this real-life business opportunity. The plan itself was time-consuming, but ultimately I really enjoyed the process of researching this business idea. Whether or not the plan wins in the competition, the business plan has been very helpful in answering pertinent questions regarding the business’s market, products and suppliers, finances, competitive advantage and its customers.
In addition to Weaver, Kyle Narber, also a student at Millersville, was selected as a semi-finalist in the competition. “Knarbart” is a graphic and visual design company for businesses seeking to have all of their creative needs fulfilled in one place.
