Now in its 4th year, the Bull Ring New Venture Competition serves as a launch pad for innovative new ventures from CSUN students while providing access and exposure to mentors, coaching, and potential investors. The event is hosted by CSUN's David Nazarian College of Business & Economics and has been made possible thanks to the continued generosity and support of distinguished CSUN alum Jeff Marine and his family.
PRIZES
Grand Prize: $20,000
2nd Place: $10,000
3rd Place: $5,000
+$30,000 in-kind prizes!
$250 will also be awarded to all 20 semi-finalist teams.
MORE INFO
The competition is open to current CSUN students of ALL majors. Eligibility and application requirements, as well as the competition schedule including deadlines, are posted below. Attendance at startup workshops is recommended, but not required in order to compete. For additional info, please see the 2018 Final Event printed program here. With remaining questions or to learn more about the program or competition, please contact Ryan Holbrook, Entrepreneurship Program Director in the Nazarian College.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Applications are due Sunday, March 10th at 11:59pm (submitted via Canvas) and will consist of: (1) a 10-25 page slide deck *or* 5-7 page executive summary, AND (2) a video not to exceed 2 minutes.
COMPETITION RULES
1) The competition is open to ALL current CSUN students.
2) The competition is intended for student-created, -managed, and -owned ventures.
3) Teams must be comprised of at least 2 members.
4) At least 50% of team members must be current CSUN students as of the 2018-2019 academic year (Fall 2018 graduates eligible). The "pitch" must be delivered by a CSUN student.
5) Businesses currently earning >$15K in annual revenue are not eligible.
6) Business that have already raised >$50K in funding from outside sources are not eligible.
7) Both for-profit and non-profit business concepts are eligible; however, sources of revenue must be addressed.
8) An individual may only be a member of one team.
9) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from past Bull Ring Competitions are not eligible.
COMPETITION RUBRIC
The Entrepreneurship Program at the Nazarian College complements our students’ inherent energy and creativity with the skills and knowledge necessary to evaluate the feasibility of an idea and ultimately pitch, launch, and grow a new venture. Whether planning to create a business or bringing the entrepreneurial mindset to a larger organization, the program prepares students to confidently present to an audience while developing a strong action-bias and a willingness to experiment.
