Statement issued by the University of Saint Francis:
Dec. 5, 2011 FORT WAYNE, Ind. – University of Saint Francis students Grace Geha and Drew Sery of Fort Wayne out-performed five other student teams to vault their business project, Gracey’s Cookies, to the top spot in the fifth annual Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership (KBSoBEL) Business Plan Competition Nov. 29 at the university’s North Campus.
Geha and Sery expressed excitement about the win and its cash prize, and called the competition a great hands-on business learning experience.
Geha had a successful recipe and a long-term goal of opening her own bakery when she determined to earn a business degree at USF. “I never imagined that I would meet my business partner, Drew, and have the money to start any time soon. I am so grateful for this experience because it has put me one step closer to my dream,” she said.
“Everyone back in Sylvania, Ohio kept telling me how good my cookies are, and I don’t really like them.… But I just kept making them. I got attached, and have been in love with baking ever since. They called my cookies Gracey’s Cookies, so it became what I was known for and I loved having something that I was good at.”
Sery provided the ultimate team support. “The challenge was finding every little detail that pertains to a complete business plan. No one understands how much work really goes into making a business plan, unless you have made one yourself from scratch. However, it was worth it,” he said.
The pair plans to take the business plan to the next step. “Some ideas I have are starting a Facebook page to get the name out, and working with the contacts I gained at the end of the night of the competition. I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity and I cannot wait until Drew and I take the next step with our business,” Geha said. “It is an exciting experience to be a part of, I am looking forward to getting things started,” Sery said.
KBSoBEL offers the business competition under the direction of Dr. Joe Steensma, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs. The Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee, a group of nine local business leaders, judged the business finalists: Roll Call, ACZ Athletics, Blue Mirror Records, Perfect Glamour and College Stuff, in addition to the winning business plan.
The local business community, led by corporate underwriters STAR Financial Bank and STAR Wealth Management, provided $3,500 in prizes for the competition—$2,000 for first, $1,000 for second and $500 for third place.
This year’s competition focused upon the viability of each business plan, its likelihood of becoming a start-up and its integration of core values that contribute to profitability and the good of the world community, Steensma said. The business competition also raised capital through sponsors for a venture fund for business start-ups that stay in Fort Wayne and adhere to strong values, he said.
Participation was voluntary and co-curricular, integrating business planning, marketing and financial statements for students, Steensma said. In addition to Geha and Sery, competing business students were Kaitlin Jinnings, Churubusco; Taylor Futterknecht, Elkhart; Dan Beer, Morgan Braun, Izzy Guzman, Kaylean Leppek, Chris Pena, Whitney Perrine and Jason Walcutt, Fort Wayne; Ally Roberts, Fremont; and Ethan Bowers, Elida, Ohio.
Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee members John Becker, Advocate Financial LLC; Joshua Burkhardt, Beers, Mallers, Backs, & Salin LLP; Gwyn Eastom, BKD LLP; John Faylor, Premier Payroll and HR Solutions; Michael Kelly, Caliente; Samuel J. Simonson, SorbaSHOCK LLC; Stacey Smith, Prairie Quest Inc.; Keith Davis, STAR Wealth Management; and Dennis Tratnyek, STAR Financial Bank, judged the business plans.
The University of Saint Francis, founded in 1890 as a comprehensive university in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, offers more than 60 undergraduate and 14 graduate programs in five schools: The School of Health Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership, School of Professional Studies and School of Creative Arts. More than 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF for its academic excellence. The university has a regional campus in Crown Point, Ind.
