Albany State University Briefs – April 19, 2014

ASU Business Student Wins at Elevator Pitch Competition

Albany State University sophomore Jasmine Andrews placed third last week at the first Clayton State University Elevator Pitch Contest in Morrow.

The event featured undergraduate students from ASU and Clayton State as they competed with MBA students from Mercer University and Kennesaw State University to illustrate their professional presentation skills.

“Experiential entrepreneurship opportunities are essential to getting students involved in learning early about whether their products or services will survive in the marketplace,” said Dr. Kathaleena Edward Monds, professor of Information Systems and co-director of the Center for Economic Education/Small and Minority Entrepreneurship at ASU.

The event was an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they learned during the March “Wow Factor” workshop presented by attorney Precious Williams, president and CEO of Perfect Pitches by Precious LLC. Andrews, a marketing major from Thomaston, won first place in the ASU Pitch Competition held during the workshop.

Funding for participation in the Clayton State University Elevator Pitch Competition was received from a grant provided by the Charles G. Koch Foundation.

ASU students dialogue with econ expert, filmmaker

Albany State University students recently participated in a live chat with an expert on the subject and screened a one-hour documentary titled, “Economic Freedom in Action: Changing Lives.” The film profiled entrepreneurs from countries as diverse as Chile and Zambia who benefit from increased economic freedom.

After the screening, students participated in a live chat via Skype with the co-author of “Economic Freedom of the World: 2013 Annual Report,” Dr. Joshua Hall, an associate professor of economics at West Virginia University.

“This is the type of learning experience and exposure that our students need in order to raise their awareness about the global economy as we prepare them to become entrepreneurs and to study abroad,” said Dr. Kathaleena Edward Monds, ASU professor of Information Systems and organizer of the event.

A highlight of the video was an invitation from Hall to award a full scholarship to students who major in economics at West Virginia University. The event was funded by a grant from the O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom Southern Methodist University which encourage students to learn more about economics and entrepreneurship.