Soojin Bae takes third place in business-venture competition

2014 Apr 14

Soojin Bae of Kyung sang-buk do, South Korea, has funding for a new business endeavor after the final round of 3D Emporia on Friday, April 11, 2014. Bae, who is studying management at Emporia State University, made a final pitch in front of judges and more than 100 people who gathered for a gala event at Emporia State University.

With teammates Jeffrey Miller, a senior business management student from Shawnee, Kan.; and Preston Mossman, a senior business administration major from Topeka, Kan., Bae presented an idea for a bicycle rental kiosk on campus that would especially benefit international students.

In order to rent a bicycle, customers would simply need a credit card to swipe at the kiosk. Upon swiping their card, a touchscreen panel would prompt users with easy to follow steps, gathering contact information, presenting rental rates, taking a deposit and automatically releasing a no-hassle bicycle, ready to ride. Bikes could be rented at hourly, daily, monthly, and even semester-long rates.

The 3D Emporia Competition, which stands for Dream It - Design It - Develop It, focuses on cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit of students from Emporia State and Flint Hills Technical College. The competition is a partnership between the School of Business at Emporia State, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was underwritten by ESB Financial.

The first-place team received $4,000, second place $2,000 and third place $1,000.

On April 30, the top three Emporia teams will compete against teams from Kansas State University in the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge in Manhattan. This competition features the top three teams from 3D Emporia and the top three teams of the K-State Launch, a similar idea competition held at Kansas State University.

"The inaugural 3D Emporia competition has been a win-win all around," said Dr. Michael D. Shonrock, president of Emporia State University. "It showed everyone -- faculty, staff and students at both higher ed institutions and the local business community -- how much can happen through collaboration."