Stetson Student Wins Entrepreneurship Competition

Bryson Pritchard

Stetson University junior, Bryson Pritchard of Ormond Beach, Florida, won first place in a recent student entrepreneur pitch competition hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO). This is the fifth first-place win for him this year. 

As a result of the win, Pritchard will head to Silicon Valley in February for the national championship where he will face top entrepreneurs from around the U.S. as he pitches his idea, a medical device to help mitigate bloodstream infection rates that is touted for improving safety and efficiency.

Pritchard has won $34,500 in the past year with first place wins in the 2019 Cairns Foundation Innovation Challenge, Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference, REEF Business Pitch Competition and the Boeing Horizon X Venture, and a second-place win in 2018 in the Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization’s global pitch competition.

“Winning a spot at nationals is so exciting and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to further promote my idea,” Pritchard said. “This event will give me access to investors and companies on a national level that are looking for the next great idea.”

Pritchard, a junior in Stetson’s Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship program,  is using his winnings to pay for patents, legal fees and product development. 

“My success has been largely tied to the support and guidance I have received from Dr. Jackson, Professor Paris, and the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board at Stetson,” explained Pritchard.

For this competition, Pritchard had to first submit a lengthy and thorough application and then pitch his idea to the EO representatives. The national competition offers entrepreneurs a shot at a $100,000 grand prize and a trip to South Africa for the global pitch competition.

William Jackson, Stetson University
William Jackson

“It has been a remarkable experience working with Bryson,” said William Jackson, DBA, director, Prince Entrepreneurship Program. “Here is a student with a great idea and unstoppable grit and who is willing to listen and learn. His determination will make him a worthy competitor at the nationals and hopefully beyond.”

EO is a global business network of 14,000+ leading entrepreneurs in 193 chapters and 60 countries. Founded in 1987, EO actively encourages student entrepreneurs who own and operate a business while attending a university. The international competition culminates with the Global Finals, where more than 50 “studentpreneurs” represent their country.

-Marie Dinklage