Elevate is a national, faith-based business plan competition for college students. The regional competitions wrapped up on Saturday, and Remedy Flies of Lee University walked away with the South regional prize of $20,000 and the opportunity to compete at the national competition in Silicon Valley on April 18.
The winner of the national competition will receive an additional $50,000 for their for-profit venture.
Driven by the core belief that they are called to care for the poor and oppressed, Remedy Flies has discovered a way to help oppressed populations by empowering them to better care for themselves. Remedy Flies will work in Cambodia and Nepal, where they will provide training and employment for impoverished people, while also educating their children and supporting the work of local churches.
This is possible through their partnership with People for Care & Learning (PCL), an organization dedicated to serving the poor by helping children, widows, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential through five main areas: sustainable farming, build a city, children’s homes, common grounds, and learning centers.
Remedy Flies will make hand-tied flies for the fly fishing market. According to the presentation that earned them the regional title, market conditions show a backlog of supply for current demand and an even greater need for the projected demand over 3-5 years. Remedy Flies will partner with Rainy’s Flies to help fill their current supply shortage, with plans to grow from there.
A senior at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, Caroline Campbell is president of Remedy Flies’ USA operations. “My major takeaway from being a part of Elevate is the relationship I’ve formed with my team, and the valuable connections I have made along the way,” said Ms. Campbell. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you gain something from your experience. I love how I can contribute my knowledge of business and finance while being a remedy to those who need help the most. I get so much satisfaction knowing that I am doing something I love, while helping those in poverty find sustainable jobs. The continual cycle is so fulfilling. I would encourage other student entrepreneurs to seek out opportunities such as Elevate. If you can identify a need in the marketplace, why not have a Christian entrepreneur fill that need? The world needs more successful Christian business men and women.”
Emma Morris, who splits time between Atlanta and Chattanooga, served as a judge for the competition. She is dean of faculty at the Atlanta campus for Belhaven University, chair of a CEO peer group called Convene, and a partner at The Morris Group, serving CEOs and business owners in rapid-growth organizations.
Additionally, Ms. Morris has authored Wingtips for Women, which addresses coaching and consulting for high-potential women. Ms. Morris said that “these student teams just ‘get’ what we are trying to share, at both the business model level and what it means to integrate faith into business for a larger purpose. Wow! It was not easy to decide. They are all go-getters.”
Covenant College hosted the South regional competition for Elevate and decided to hold the competition in downtown Chattanooga.
Known to many as the Gig City—the first city in the Western Hemisphere to offer one-gigabit-per-second fiber internet service to all residents and businesses—Chattanooga regularly makes headlines as an innovative ecosystem for entrepreneurs. It was fitting for Chattanooga’s EPB Fiber Optics to allow Covenant to hold the competition at their corporate office in downtown Chattanooga.
“It was an honor and a pleasure to host the South regional final of the Elevate business plan competition,” said Dr. Derek Halvorson, president of Covenant College. “There were some remarkable business ideas pitched, and it was exciting to see so many bright young men and women putting their God-given gifts and creativity to work in meeting real needs in the marketplace and in the world. This sort of entrepreneurial spirit is characteristic of Chattanooga and of Covenant College students, so it was fitting that Chattanooga and Covenant served as hosts. I look forward to cheering on our South regional champion—Remedy Flies—in the Final Four competition in Silicon Valley on April.”
More information can be found at www.covenant.edu/elevate, and inquiries can be sent to elevate@covenant.edu.