Governor’s Cup Finalists Making Their Cases; Winners Announced April 10

The road to Little Rock goes through Fayetteville today and Friday for collegiate business-plan teams aiming to take home the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup. Semifinalists and finalists are at the Chancellor Hotel — as we speak — making their cases before a panel of judges. Winners will be announced at the big awards banquet shindig April 10 (next Wednesday) at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. Business-plan teams from Arkansas colleges and universities have competed all over the world in prestigious competitions in recent years, and fared well. Teams mentored by Carol Reeves from the University of Arkansas have fared so well that Arkansas has become a prominent player on the business-plan scene. Sort of like the Hogs were in hoops in the early 90s, or on the gridiron circa 2010-11. The success of UA teams has sort of upped the game for teams from other Arkansas schools, which have experienced their own recent Governor’s Cup success stories (we’re looking at you, specifically, John Brown…). Indeed, teams from JBU, Harding and Ouachita Baptist, in particular, are making their way to the Gov’s Cup finals. Winners from the Arkansas competition move on to the Tri-State Cup in Vegas against state winners from Oklahoma and Nevada (the three states represent the primary territory of the old Donrey media empire). The undergraduate semifinals were scheduled to kick off first thing this morning, with undergrad finalists being selected and then presenting Friday morning along with the graduate finalists. Other categories (presenting today) include innovation and agriculture. Read the full article here from Innovate Arkansas.