Members of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay have selected and awarded a cash prize to the winners of the MBA business plan competition conducted among members of the Creating and Leading New Ventures class in the Florida Entrepreneur & Family Business Center at John H. Sykes College of Business at The University of Tampa.  

Five teams of students competed, with the winning team presenting a business plan for Oasis Salon & Spa.  Winning teams members were Angie Ballard, Nick Costello, Juliana Dovedot, Jennifer Jamison, Melissa Koeb and David VerEeke.  

“Few entrepreneurs have the opportunity to ‘test’ their ideas in advance with a blue ribbon panel of advisors,” said Mark Anderson, CEO of eLogic Learning, who coordinated judging on behalf of the CEO Council.  “The CEO Council is pleased to work with these students, as well as undergraduates in a separate competition, to provide the benefit of our experience for these emerging entrepreneurs and bridge the gap between the academic  environment and real world.”

Anderson was joined in the judging by Ray Sikorski, President of Verified Label, Print & Promotions, Inc. and Jake Beckel, chairman and CEO of AnazaoHealth Corporation.  The CEO Council presented a check in the amount of $3,000 to the University for winning teams in the graduate and undergraduate business plan competitions.

“We appreciate the continuing relationship we have had with the CEO Council on this project,” said Dr. Dean Koutroumanis, faculty coordinator for the competition and Visiting Assistant Professor of Management, John H. Sykes College of Business at The University of Tampa. “A growing number of our MBA students now have a concentration in entrepreneurship and we believe this demonstrates how important the skills are that are showcased through this competition.” 

About The University of Tampa
The University of Tampa (http://www.ut.edu) is a medium-sized comprehensive, private university located in the heart of downtown Tampa, serving 5,300 students from 50 states and U.S. territories and almost 100 countries. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the John H. Sykes College of Business offer approximately 100 areas of study and pre-professional programs through a strong core curriculum rooted in the liberal arts.  Both undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered, with graduate programs including Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Science in Marketing, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Innovation Management and Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Innovation. The AACSB-accredited MBA program is one of the largest in Florida.

About the CEO Council of Tampa Bay
The CEO Council of Tampa Bay, Inc. (http://www.ceotampa.com) addresses the specific business needs of today’s chief executive officers and provides insight, education, networking and peer mentorship to take advantage of current and future opportunities unique to the CEO entrepreneur.  The Council is open to CEOs of Tampa Bay companies with a minimum of 25 employees and a minimum of $3M in revenue.