Wire Me Awake to attract more than 225 students

Business-minded students at the University of South Dakota will have their shot at $4,000 cash and other prizes during Wednesday’s Wire Me Awake conference in the Muenster University Center.

Co-founded by Ben Hanten, the entrepreneurial conference will bring together over 225 students and professionals to collaborate on business ideas, exchange advice and ultimately learn more on what it takes to be a successful start-up or small business.

‘We hope people connect,” Hanten said. “This is a chance to get the entrepreneurs of the area into one room to have an chance to network and seek opportunities they could not otherwise.”

The day’s events will cap off with a pitch contest, in which 21 USD students will have a chance to pitch their business ideas to a panel.

Top prize will take home $4,000. Second place wins $3,000, third place win $2,000 and fourth place wins $1,000.

Hanten said the money is meant to help student’s get their business pitches off the ground.

“The competition is more about being able to form a pitch, not necessarily just the idea the student is pitching,” he said. “Most people in business know it’s all about execution.”

Wednesday marks the first time the conference is being held on the USD campus and Tasha Anderson, USD business research and economic development liaison, said it is a great opportunity for students.

“There has been a big push in entrepreneurial classes for students to form ideas for the pitch competition,” she said. “It’s great that students have this here to get outside help in how to get things going.”

In addition to three sets of sessions throughout the day, there will be three speakers at the event.

Among them is Jenny Blake, author of “Life After College,” a book aimed to equip college students with the mindset necessary to excel after graduation.

Blake said she will speak about the new form of thinking graduates need to have in a frequently changing world.

“In the new world, our brains need to work like a smart phone,” Blake said. “Things are changing fast and we aren’t able to think in the slowly progressive way we used to. Things are changing just like a smart phone, so we need to be able to download apps to deal with those changes. And just like a smart phone it is important to recharge in order to have a fluid, dynamic career.”

Registration for Wire Me Awake is open 9-10 a.m. Wednesday and cost $40 for students and $80 for the public.