Registration for the LES Foundation 2015 International Graduate Student Business Plan Competition kicks off this month and already student teams are queuing up to compete. Will this enthusiasm from students be matched by LES member volunteers?

WASHINGTON, November 2014 – Registration for the LES Foundation 2015 International Graduate Student Business Plan Competition kicks off this month and already student teams are queuing up to compete. Will this enthusiasm from students be matched by LES member volunteers?

The Foundation is looking for volunteers for the Competition. Sign Up Now by emailing bplan@lesfoundation.org if you’d like to:

• Mentor a team by phone
• Judge a few business plans in your area of expertise
• Enter your company into the IP Services Showcase
• Help spread the word! Encourage universities business schools to participate. Download the flyer.
• Become a sponsor. Donate cash to support the Competition or in-kind prizes to increase the value of awards to the final round teams

What’s New This Year?
In addition to the highly successful IP Business Mentoring component which pairs early registrants with professional mentors who provide constructive feedback as teams prepare to compete, the 2015 Competition will feature a new IP Services Showcase and a virtual Final Round aimed at expanding the number of teams from around the world that advance to the Finals. 

“We’re very excited about expanding our offerings this year for both student participants and our LES member volunteers,” said Competition Director Annemarie Meike. “The IP Services Showcase will give service providers a volunteer opportunity to show off their products and services while students enjoy the chance to sample services that might fit future company needs.”

The Foundation is also looking forward to more actively integrating participants into the LES community by cultivating connections between student teams and their local chapters or national societies. 

“Our event is a completely unique experience in this space,” said LES Foundation President Gary Fedorochko.” Other competitions simply do not offer teams the same individual attention they receive from LES volunteer mentors and judges who provide insightful and constructive feedback throughout the process. Students come seeking these professional interactions and we provide them with new IP know-how, guidance and valuable professional connections that serve them well throughout their careers.” 

The 2015 winning team will take home $10,000 and, again this year, the LES International Global Award will be presented to the team whose plan best deals with IP rights and their use in the global business environment. Runner-up teams will each receive $1,000 and all of the teams will select from a valuable pool of in-kind prizes designed to address their business needs. 

More information is available at www.lesfoundation.org.