March 2, 2011

The Henderson Challenge offers Westphal students the chance to compete for over $6,000 in prize monies in a competition for the best business plan. This year there were 51 students participating in 29 teams, representing Music Industry, Graphic Design, Fashion Design and Design & Merchandising.  The initial concept phase of the 2011 Henderson Challenge has just been completed,  and the winning entries were for students Katrina Ballestros, Lauren Hotz, Courtney Paff, Gina Vigilante, Design & Merchandising students for Bubbles and Brew; Katherine Cangemi, Ashley Fraser, Ellen Gillespie, Sara Gautieri, Design & Merchandising students for College Closets; Joanna Fiorentino, Amanda Comunale, Alexandra Fishoff, Caitlin Cumpstone, Design &  Merchandising students for Hava Java; and Matt Klein, Music Industry student for Rock-a-Burger. Beth Philips and Larry Epstein were the faculty mentors for the winning teams.

The winning business plans are all very different, but each one is creative and distinctive. Bubbles & Brew is University City's go-to location to complete laundry in a clean, well-lit place, while simultaneously executing other daily tasks. Hava Java's™ mission is to provide fast, fresh and delicious specialty coffee to students and professors without the hassle of traveling to coffee shops and waiting in long lines.  Conveniently located high-quality, specialty coffee vending machines will be placed throughout the campus and will operate 24 hours a day. College Closets makes college life easier and more convenient for students by providing a multi-functional storage space that can be utilized year round or simply during transitions from home to school like these that occur during the summer. Rock-a-Burger is a casual dining restaurant coupled with a music venue with the mission of creating a safe, fun, and flourishing all-ages music community in Philadelphia. Have Java also placed second and Bubbles and Brew third, in the University-wide Baiada Competition.

You need not be a Concept Phase winner to participate in the Business Plan Phase.  The deadline for the Business Plan Phase is March 26, 2011. Click here for more information about the competition, rules and registration. The Henderson Challenge offers 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes in the Business Plan Phase with cash awards of $3000, $2000 and $1000, respectively. For those entrepreneurial students, here's a chance to refine your idea for a business and who knows, soon we could be seeing your business pop-up in University City.