Kennesaw State University

Concept-2-Reality™ Competition:
The Concept-2-Reality™ Competition (C2R™) is a semi-annual “Great Ideas” Competition organized and run by the Coles College of Business with the sponsorship of goSmallBiz.com.  The C2R™ Competition seeks to stimulate the launch and development of new businesses by encouraging and assisting aspiring entrepreneurs to begin the conversion of their innovative ideas into real world products and services in a supportive, encouraging environment.  The Competition involves three rounds. 

In each round, the aspiring entrepreneurs are asked to answer seven questions about their “great idea” in in a one-page “elevator pitch.”  All participants are given feedback and the top 25 entrants are invited to submit 5 page executive summaries. All 25 semi-finalists are given feedback, and the top 5 are invited to make 15 minute presentations of their ideas and their answers to these seven questions to a panel of successful entrepreneurs, consultants, venture capitalists, and other start-up professionals.  To date, 7 of the 145 entrants have launched their products or businesses and 6 more are in the process of doing so. 

The Georgia Bowl®:
The Georgia Bowl® is the oldest regional business plan competition in the U.S. The competition is held in early February of each year. 
The Competition’s primary purposes are:

• To strengthen the overall quality of the entrepreneurship education offered at each participating school

• To identify and acknowledge those students who have done the best job developing new business ideas that could enhance the future economic development of the participating states

• To communicate to the region’s citizens about the outstanding entrepreneurship educational opportunities available at the leading universities throughout the region

During the competition, the participating teams present their ideas for new ventures to panels of judges selected from Georgia’s business and financial communities. 

The judges choose the winning teams using five criteria:

• The likelihood of successful short-term startup of the proposed ventures

• The long-term potential of these ventures

• The venture team’s ability to successfully implement their proposed plans

• The returns the venture will provide to their investors

• The quality of the team’s plan & presentation

The winning team receives an invitation to participate in the Global Challenge of Moot Corp.

Entrepreneurship Concentration (BBA in Management)
Within its BBA in Management degree program, one of the most popular concentrations is in entrepreneurship.  In addition to a required entrepreneurship course that all management majors take which uses a simulation to manage a new venture, the core entrepreneurship courses work with developing comprehensive business plans and assisting with launching a new business.  Additional offerings in franchise management, family business, commercial real estate ventures, and international entrepreneurship provide students with a number of avenues to focus their entrepreneurship studies.

Cox Family Enterprise Center
Kennesaw State University’s Cox Family Enterprise Center is an internationally recognized leader in family business education. Known for its research, outreach and recognition programming as well as design and delivery of family business education, the Cox Family Enterprise Center has won numerous accolades for its success.  Among the many awards and recognitions received, Kennesaw and the Cox Family Enterprise Center was recently distinguished by being named one of the top six family business programs in the United States by CNNMoney.com and Fortune magazine.  Started in the late 1980s and with three endowed positions, the Cox Center is both one of the oldest centers and the largest center devoted to family business.

Coles Entrepreneurship Centers, Clubs and Activities

• The Cox Family Enterprise Center that supports the Family Business Academy, the Family Business Bibliography, the Family Business Forum, the Family Business Research Consortium, the Georgia Family Business Awards, the Minority Enterprise Institute, and the Urban Enterprise Initiative

• Kennesaw Corporate Governance Center [The first in the U.S.]

• Kennesaw Small Business Development Center (SBDC) [including the Cobb Micro-enterprise Council Franchise Institute]

• The Georgia Women’s Economic Development & Entrepreneurs Institute

• Kennesaw Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE)

• International Entrepreneurship Executive Education [which supports the Enterprise Pan American Tournament]

• Kidsway Business Plan Competition

MGT 8520 - Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Opportunity Identification: This course develops a set of tools useful for understanding the human issues of innovation in creativity-intensive firms.

MGT 8530 - New Venture Creation and Growth:
This course presents the new venture startup process and presents strategies for increasing the likelihood of new venture success.

MGT 8535 - Developing Effective Business Plans:
This course provides students the opportunity to develop business plans for venture opportunities that they would like to exploit.

MGT 8540 - Entrepreneurial & VC Financing:
This course covers the financing of new ventures and small businesses with a focus on angel & venture capital, business valuation, and going public.

MGT 8545 - Launching New Ventures:
In this course, students are mentored to launch their new businesses that they have developed business plans for in previous courses.

MGT 8550 - Consulting Strategies:
This course explores strategies for delivering consulting services with a focus on establishing a client base, client needs assessments; data collection & analysis, project follow-up, and the management of client ethical, confi¬dentiality & expectations issues.

MGT 8555 - International Entrepreneurship:
This course provides students an opportunity to assess the economic feasibility of and to develop business plans for international venture opportunities

MGT 8560 - Family Business:
This course explores the unique challenges and opportunities involved in managing a family business.

MGT 8900 - Special Topics in Entrepreneurship:
This course allows students to explore special topics in Entrepreneurship in which they have a specific interest under faculty supervision.

All management majors are required to take at least one course in entrepreneurship.  Management majors are also able to choose entrepreneurship as a concentration area and take courses in developing business plans, franchising, commercial real estate, and international entrepreneurship. 

A complete list of courses is available at: http://catalog.kennesaw.edu/

One of the Top 18 Entrepreneurship Educators by Fortune Small Business in September 2007

Selected as one of top six schools in Family Business by Fortune Small Business in September 2007

The 2001 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Outstanding Teachers given bi-annually by Baylor University to faculty from throughout the English-speaking world.

The 2000 Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educational Pedagogy Award given by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship

The 1999 Entrepreneurship Advocate Award given by Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management

Winner, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) National Model Undergraduate Program in Entrepreneurship Award (1995)

The 1994 Sargent Americanism Award given by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers

The First Coleman Entrepreneurship Mentor Award given by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management in 1992

The First Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award given by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in 1992

A 1991 Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education given by the Freedom Foundation of Valley forge, PA

The 1989 Outstanding Contributions Award given by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management

School type: Four Year, Public, Founded: 1963

Affiliation: None

Web site: http://www.kennesaw.edu/

Student Profile:

Number of undergraduate, full-time students:
13,743

Percentage of undergraduate, full-time male students, female students:
40% Male, 60% Female

Number of states represented by student body:
50

Number of countries represented by student body:
141

Percentage of international students:
7.4%

Percentage of minority students:
19%

Number of students participating in entrepreneurship:
100

Faculty Profile:

Number of full-time faculty:
643

Student/Faculty Ratio:
28:1

Athletics:

Athletics division, conference, number of varsity sports:
NCAA Division I, Atlantic Sun Conference, 14 varsity sports

Financial:

Cost of tuition:
In-state Tuition and Fees: $1913/semester. Out of state Tuition and Fees: $6228/semester

Percentage of students who receive some financial aid:
61%

Dr. Richard M. Franza
Kennesaw State University
Coles College of Business Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
1000 Chastain Road, #0404
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144-5591

http://www.coles.kennesaw.edu/

Kennesaw State University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
1000 Chastain Road, #9111
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144-5591

http://www.kennesaw.edu/