Chico State Center for Entrepreneurship

Round Two of our elevator pitch competition was a rousing success. We want to give a big congratulations to all the winners; if you couldn't make it to the event, the full video of the competitions is available below. More exciting competitions are in the pipeline, so stay tuned!

On today's podcast, we had guest speaker, Angela Casler who is a professor at Chico State, teaching sustainability management, also runs a sustainability management association, founded at Chico State. The association focuses on teaching professionals about sustainability management. We discuss the positive changes that implementing sustainability can have on a business and what businesses can do to move towards more sustainable practices. With the first thing being a quick win. Sustainability can save your business money while working towards a cleaner future. What we do today does matter to the future and tomorrow is greater than today.

The CFE had a chance to reach out to Kyle Byker, one of the reward recipients of last semester’s Seed Innovation Challenge for his business idea PHILD! After noticing the vast amount of shampoo and conditioner bottles in everyone’s homes, he got the idea to design a dispenser, similar to a soda machine, for shower products. PHILD would provide reusable containers at these dispensers, removing single-use plastic bottles from people's homes, tremendously reducing the amount of plastic waste being put into our environment! Working with the engineering department at Chico State, he's been able to make some great progress in developing a prototype! Although there have been setbacks due to Covid-19, he is optimistic that he'll be able to participate in the Showcase in December this year!

Are you a designer/artist looking to meet other interesting people with similar hopes and aspirations? If so, we have just the event for you! E-Incubator will assist entrepreneurs who are selling their creations such as jewelry, artwork, books, baked goods, etc. We can't wait to meet you and hear all about your creations. See you then! Link to event on the @chico_ceo Facebook page @ChicoStateCeo #explore #entrepreneur #collegeentrepreneur

Downtown Chico is getting ready for the weekend! Have a safe Halloween this year and don’t miss the Treat Street Drive-Thru celebration around city plaza tomorrow from 3:00pm-5:00pm! Decorate your vehicles and drive by the 3 judges for a chance to win some awesome prizes! You can register on the Downtown Chico website! You will enter on Main Street follow the cones around 4th street to Broadway where you will be handed a Treat Bag filled with prewrapped candy, toys, and fun.... Don’t miss out! https://www.downtownchico.com/event-treat-street_13.html #Halloween #DowntownChicoCA #DowntownChico

Congratulations to the Seufferlein Sales Program for winning first at the third annual AT&T National Sales Competition! Check out some of their events at https://buff.ly/3mMy2qv.

Tune in tomorrow night for the 2nd Round of the Elevator Pitch Competition! The winner will win $500 and will be announced that night! Consolation prizes include $250 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd! The length of each pitch needs to be contained to 30 - 90 seconds, and judges will be scoring on: 1. Body Language 2. Clarity 3. Professionalism... 4. Tempo and Tone Information for checks and prizes will be gathered after the finals!

Only 6 days left until Election Day and according to NPR, a record 69 Million people have voted early! A whole 19 Million more votes cast by the same time in 2016. While early projections predicted that Election officials would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ballots arriving before Election Day, data is showing now that voters are voting in numbers earlier than ever before, spacing out the processing workload. These same predictions showed voting levels reaching 65% - ...the highest percentage since 1908, but it’s becoming apparent that these numbers may be a low estimate. We may experience the highest voter turnout in over 100 years! Have you voted yet? If you have, you can check if your ballot was delivered safely for the first time ever with the Where’s my Ballot service available on California’s Secretary of State website! Click the link below for more information on how to find out if your ballot was received!

It’s Elevator Pitch Season! The Elevator Pitch Competition has arrived! With $500 on the line for the best pitch, $250 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd, make sure to tune in tomorrow at 6:30pm for the kick-off! The Elevator Pitch Competition is open to all CSU Chico Student. To enter, simply email CFE Center Director Eva Shepherd-Nicoll at [email protected] by Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 4:00 PM and your in! Judges will be scoring on body language, clarity, professionalis...m, tempo and tone. Each pitch's length needs to be contained to 30 - 90 seconds (the length of a typical elevator ride), so it should be quick! Below are some steps to putting it all together: 1. Identify your goal. 2. Explain WHAT you do; maybe use an example! 3. Communicate your USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Offering) 4. Engage with an open-ended question. 5. PRACTICE (time yourself, etc.). Information for checks and prizes will be gathered after Thursday night’s finals! See you there! Zoom Link For Competition https://buff.ly/2F0sKr6

Thank you to all who attend the CFE Alumni Panel! Special thanks to panelists for Chase Palmieri, CEO of Credder; Emily Parisi, CEO of Parisi Technology; Mark Sorenson, CEO of Social High Rise; Robert Strazzarino, Founder of College Scheduler; Wendy Porter, serial entrepreneur and now state rep for ICT-DM for Far North; and Peter Farsai, CEO of Outdoor Ally speaking to our Chico State students. Alumni Panel. This panel’s intention is to reach out to Chico State alumni about t...he companies they’ve founded, where they will share their experiences getting to where they are now. The panelists include Chase Palmieri, CEO of Credder; Emily Parisi, CEO of Parisi Technology; Mark Sorenson, CEO of Social High Rise; Robert Strazzarino, Founder of College Scheduler; Wendy Porter, serial entrepreneur and now state rep for ICT-DM for Far North; and Peter Farsai, CEO of Outdoor Ally. With focuses ranging from Social Media to Ballistics Protection, there is sure to be a takeaway for anyone interested. See more

Special thanks to G. Kofi Annan, Data-Driven Strategist, Technologist, Keynote Speaker, and Connector, who presented at Chico State College of Business with the College of Business' Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE), continuing its Fall Speaker Series this past October 15, 2020. Mr. Annan will be sharing his experience in the marketing industry, how he builds relationships between brands and people, and how data-driven stories can translate into smarter brand experiences. Kof...i uses data-driven strategies to create digital and social media content. His work and creative ventures have led him to be recognized by the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, https://buff.ly/x5fdtd, https://buff.ly/zLEevb, Entrepreneur Magazine, Governor of New Jersey (Phil Murphy), and Fashion Group International. In case you missed it, the full webinar is available on our Facebook @chicostatecfe. #chicostate #chicostatealumni #collegeentrepreneur #explore #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #todaystartsagaintomorrow

This year’s presidential election is being called the most important election of our lifetimes. CNN has reported that a record-breaking 40 million votes have already been cast! In the 2016 presidential election, 46.1 percent of young adults cast their ballots, according to the U.S Census Bureau, and we wanted to reach out to students to find out whether or not they will be voting this year! Here’s what they said: Yes, I will be voting in the upcoming election. I’ve alwa...ys thought it was important to participate in elections. While it may not seem like it, I think that every vote matters. It’s a way for your community to reflect your values. Some people can’t vote, and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity. Yes, I am going to vote because so many have fought for our right to have a say in what goes on with our government. I’m gonna vote because I don’t like when people complain about politics and don’t vote themselves Yes, I’m going to vote because I believe it is my civic duty to vote, even if I do get jury duty because of it. 100% plan to vote in the upcoming election because we are the future generation, and the decisions we make will affect the America that we live in. It’s up to us to set ourselves up for success and to make decisions that have a positive impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. Yes, I intend to vote in the upcoming election because I feel we need a new change in our country. The only way we will see change is if we decide to use our voices. Yes, I intend to vote in the upcoming election because I believe that we have influence over who becomes our leader, and we need to take part in the election that determines who will essentially be making crucial decisions for our country. This is a time in desperate need of strong, fair, and responsible leadership with the issues of the environment, equality, fair rights and the economy, among others. Yes, I do intend to vote in the upcoming election because I feel like it's the right time for me to understand what actually goes on in the world and how decisions are being made with or without my vote. I think voting allows me to not only become aware of certain situations within this country but could encourage me to take more actions as a civil citizen. If you haven’t voted yet and plan to, make sure to visit https://buff.ly/2zmGdme to find out more information on where to find Early Voting sites, Election Day Voting sites, and Drop-Box locations near you!

Check out the CFE Connection’s first monthly newsletter! Take a look at what we’ve been up to so far this October, and what we’ve got planned coming soon!