Kennedy White and team win international business competition

A team of Washburn University students – including Holton’s Kennedy White – won first place in the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) Worldwide Business Plan Competition, according to a news release from Washburn University. 

White, a 2016 business graduate, senior business major Connor England, Topeka, and junior mass media major Mark Feuerborn, Overland Park, won the competition with their idea and business plan for D18, a service that helps restaurants, manufacturers and hotels save money by identifying tax exemption opportunities within their utility charges. 

The company also works on behalf of its clients to obtain tax refunds and to plan for future energy and tax savings. 

The Washburn team was one of three teams to advance to the final round and participate via Skype in a live question and answer session with a panel of judges on May 19. The trio was awarded a championship trophy and 1,250 euros (a little more than $1,800) in cash. 

“Getting the news that we made first place was incredible,” Feuerborn said. “The rest of the day felt like a dream. I'm so happy our efforts paid off.” 

White said that the best part about this international win is the fact that D18 is real.

“It’s not simply an idea with a business plan, but a real business that we are actually launching,” he said. “I believe that is what made the difference.” 

All three of the team members agreed the competition was tough, but they found it to be a positive experience.

“Every step was hard - from the initial entry of our business plan, to defending our case both in writing and in the live question and answer sessions,” England said. “Throughout, the competition required us to pull on all we've learned thus far.”

The group said they also appreciated the encouragement and assistance from faculty members in Washburn’s School of Business. 

“The supportive atmosphere at Washburn fosters creativity and implementation,” White said. “I don't think we would have been nearly as prepared and wouldn't have won without all of the support we received at Washburn.” 

The goal of the competition is to stimulate global entrepreneurship among students. The qualifying round was held in March 2016. A total of 15 teams submitted business plans.

The United States entered four teams. Canada and Belgium each entered two apiece and China, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Netherlands each entered one team apiece.  

The final round took place at Avans University of Applied Sciences, located in Breda, Netherlands. Teams representing Finland and Ireland were also in the final round.

The Network of Business Schools (NIBS) is an association of business schools from around the world which believes that internationalization of business and globalization of the economy are essential elements in the evolution of managerial practices.