Summer Camp Live Announced as Finalist in Miami Herald’s Business Plan Challenge
Miami, Florida (PRWEB) April 30, 2014 -- The annual Business Plan Challenge hosted by the Miami Herald and the Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center at Florida International University (FIU), is one of the most popular competitions for South Florida business start-ups every year. Now in its 16th year, nearly 200 applicants submitted business plans, and Summer Camp Live was chosen as a finalist, for a chance to be named winner on May 19, 2014.
“We are humbled and very excited that we have been chosen as a finalist in the Business Plan Challenge and that we have advanced this far. When we started Summer Camp Live, we believed in its potential and solid business model, and are glad to see that the judges do so as well,” said Vicky di Colloredo-Mels, founder of Summer Camp Live.
There are three panels of judges in the competition, all comprised of serial entrepreneurs, investors or executives. According to the Herald, the judges have their work cut out for them, as they evaluate several factors including the viability of the business model, the team, marketing strategy, financial projections and more. Ultimately, it's not just about a good idea; judges are looking for a business plan with a strong execution potential.
The Business Plan Challenge consists of two contests: the Community track and the FIU track with six top finalists each. There is also a high school track with entries comprised from local schools. Summer Camp Live is competing in the FIU track, as di Colloredo-Mels is a university alumna.
Finalists in each track will compete against each other, and the one that obtains the most votes in each track is the winner of the People’s Picks. The voting will take place in the Miami Herald website. On the voting page, voters can pick their top choice in each track. Vote is allowed once per day per email address starting on the afternoon of May 2. Voting closes Sunday, May 11, 2014 at midnight. Finalists will also have to do a Shark Tank Presentation on Friday, May 9, 2014 at FIU Downtown. Both People's Picks, as well as the top 3 judges’ choices in each track, will be profiled in a special section of the Miami Herald on May 19, 2014.
Di Colloredo-Mels, a former banker who left the industry in search of new and exciting opportunities, founded Summer Camp Live in 2012. With a background in education and a desire to create a career path she was passionate about, di Colloredo-Mels, was introduced to the summer camp industry and was amazed at how a camp experience can positively affect the life of a child and in turn affect society as a whole. Based on her own experience, di Colloredo-Mels, a mother of two, found it costly and time consuming for camps and parents to attend physical camp fairs around the country. Furthermore, she saw how difficult and limited it was to search for information on the thousands of camp options. Thus, Summer Camp Live was born.
“Summer Camp Live bridges the gap between the camps and parents and campers from different backgrounds and cultures around the world who wish to find the ideal summer camp or summer program. There are almost limitless camp options and that’s why our live virtual environment is revolutionizing the way parents and campers from around the world connect with summer camps and summer programs in the most advanced online camp fair experience available today,” said Felipe Ospina, managing partner at Summer Camp Live.
About Summer Camp Live
Summer Camp Live is the world’s first and only virtual summer camp fair. Through this online tool, camps can register online to be part of the fair and attendees can “tour” virtual camps year round. Summer Camp Live helps parents and campers around the world find the best summer camp or summer program by offering the most advanced online camp fair experience. The online camp fair is on all the time, 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. For more information, visit http://www.summercamplive.com, and on Twitter at @SummerCampLive and Facebook.com/SummerCampLive.
Vicky di Colloredo-Mels, Summer Camp Live, https://summercamplive.com, +1 (305) 793-8627, [email protected]
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