After a competitive application process, a panel of judges has selected four finalists for the first Rosen College Entrepreneurship Competition, presented by BlurtBox. The finalists and their proposed business concepts are:

  • Shane Carman, a junior, wants to open a family-oriented hotel chain that will donate 50 percent of its net profits to not-for-profit youth programs.
  • Jose Maria Bilbao Cunha Joia, a graduate student, and Tiago Rodrigues want to open a wine bar/restaurant concept.
  • Judi Legler, a junior, wants to start a social media marketing and consulting company focused on small businesses and local corporations in the hospitality industry.
  • John C. Swoboda Jr., a senior, wants to start a photo booth rental company.

    • Participants are competing for $10,000 in cash and prizes that can assist with startup costs and help make their dreams a reality. Next, the finalists will present their ideas to a panel of judges at the final round on Wednesday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m., which will be held at Rosen College and is open to the public. The winners will be announced that evening.

    The competition is sponsored by BlurtBox, a mobile app that helps customers voice their complaints about a business and allows owners and managers to address customers in real time. Its CEO Julien Meyer is a 2014 UCF graduate who studied hospitality and event management at Rosen College while running his own startup company. He partnered with Rosen College on the Entrepreneurship Competition to help budding entrepreneurs take a hospitality business venture to the next level.

    For more information about the Rosen College Entrepreneurship Competition and the final round, contact Dr. Jeff Weinland at 407-903-8061 or Jeffrey.Weinland@ucf.edu.