Westheimer New Venture Competition Set to Award UNT Students for Business Creativity

Entrepreneurial students at the University of North Texas are invited to put their business creativity to the test, thanks to funding from Oklahoma business leader and UNT alum, Jerome “Bruzzy” Westheimer.

The second annual Westheimer New Venture Competition gives students across campus the chance to create original business ideas – including enterprises, products and services – and to pitch those proposals to a panel of venture capitalists, consultants, entrepreneurs and executives.

“This competition provides a special opportunity for students to think critically and get in front of admired business leaders to gain constructive, personalized feedback for their proposals,” said Marilyn Wiley, dean of the UNT College of Business, which is facilitating the contest.

First-, second- and third-place winners will receive $3,000, $2,250 and $1,500, respectively, per team. Remaining finalists will take home $100 per individual.

The competition is similar to a “mini ‘Shark Tank,’” that will give students valuable experience with presentation and business development skills in an authentic, professional setting.

Westheimer earned his bachelor’s degree in administrative management in 1965 and went on to have a lucrative career. He is currently president of Valbel West, an oil and gas producer and geology business in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and president and CEO of the Jerome Westheimer Family Foundation. For his professional prominence, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the university, and he was inducted into the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame as a Fred McCain Honoree, both in 2016. Westheimer is also a life member of the UNT Alumni Association, a lifetime member of the UNT Kuehne Speaker Series and a member of the university’s President’s Leadership Board.

The Westheimer competition is open to all UNT students in teams of three. Up to 12 teams will be chosen to pitch their plans to about a dozen judges during a 15-minute presentation on April 27.

To participate, UNT students must be classified as sophomores or above and must have taken, or be currently enrolled in, a communications course. Each team of three must also include at least one student that is a business major. Teams are required to submit their five-page written summary of their proposal to the College of Business dean’s office by Friday, March 16. Finalists will be announced in April.

For details or to submit proposals, visit https://cob.unt.edu/westcomp.