For the more entrepreneur-minded students looking to get a head start at putting together a future business, Vol Court will have their answers.
Vol Court is a seven-week program designed to give attendees tools and knowledge that could help them be better prepared to start and improve a business.
Joy Fisher, managing director for Vol Court, encouraged any interested students or faculty members to attend, saying that the topics Vol Court will cover could be invaluable.
“We are trying to build on a growing entrepreneurially culture on campus,” Fisher said, “because it’s important for the students’ future, this region’s future in terms of generating jobs, and it’s important for improving people’s lives in getting new things out into the market.”
The various presenters at Vol Court will include individuals with backgrounds in banking, entrepreneurship, venture capitalism and business.
The sessions will start at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 25 in Room 201 of the Haslam Business Building and last for about one hour. The other six sessions will start at the same time and place each Tuesday afterwards.
The first night of Vol Court will feature a discussion on discovering customers and learning about the validation model. There will also be a panel discussion featuring several young entrepreneurs.
“Our first … speakers are going to be actual, young entrepreneurs who have gone through starting a business,” Fisher said. “They’re going to give insights on the things they did right and the things they would have done differently.”
On the afternoons of Oct. 2 and 9, participants will learn about the Business Model Hypothesis in two parts. The first night will have Ken Woody of Innova Memphis discussing competitive analysis, customer relationships and market sizes. John Morris of Tech 20/20 will cover the second night discussing ways of making revenue and resource assessments.
On Oct. 16, Joey Natour and Seth Elliot of DineTouch will help participants learn how to test their own business hypothesises with customers and how to utilize customer feedback to improve the business hypothesis.
Oct. 23 will feature Chris Miller of Meritus Ventures, who will lecture on investments, management teams and resources.
Starting on Oct. 30, the Vol Court participants will begin preparing for the pitch competition with Shawn Carson of Tech 20/20 Center for Entrepreneurial Growth.
Individuals or groups will actually pitch business ideas to a judging panel that consists of Vol Court’s sponsors, venture capitalists, bankers and entrepreneurs. Oct. 30 is just preparation night, but on the final night of Vol Court, Nov. 6, the pitches will be made.
Those participating will not only have to showcase their business idea, but also its strengths and weaknesses, potential problems it could face, and solutions to those problems.
An additional component added to this year’s judging criteria is that competitors will have to go out prior to the competition and present their idea to “potential customers” and get feedback from them. Their pitch will have to incorporate that feedback and ideas on how the business plan would adjust based on what that feedback might be.
The winning individual or group will receive a cash prize of $1,000. Second place individual or group will win $500.
The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is hosting the Vol Court sessions. It is sponsored by the UT Federal Credit Union, the UT Research Foundation and Pershing Yoakley and Associates.
Any student or faculty member can attend the Vol Court, regardless of their major or area of work.
“We encourage multiple majors (to attend), because the stronger businesses don’t just have one person,” Fisher said. “Stronger businesses typically have a team of people with diverse skill sets. So we encourage people of all disciplines to come.”
Marcus Jones, junior in sociology, said he might attend the event and that he definitely supports the event’s intent.
“I think it’s really encouraging that they’re including everyone,” Jones said. “It’s ‘Vol’ Court, so it’s for all of us.”
Anthony Mathews, sophomore in sociology, shared the sentiment and believed programs like Vol Court are great for preparing students for the future.
“It provides a broader lifestyle for students,” Mathews said. “It gives students a chance to move forward with their careers. They can say, ‘Well, I have this major, and I can do this with it. But wait a minute, I can do more.'”
