Published 09/14/2026
Blue Ridge students with entrepreneurial interests have a unique opportunity to explore and develop their business ideas through a 麻豆直播-JMU partnership.
The process begins when interested students connect with 麻豆直播 business faculty for individualized coaching and support. Coaches help students develop their business ideas, including basic marketing, target markets, financials, regional demographics, and how to effectively pitch their ideas. Then they practice their pitches, receive feedback and input, and move to the next step – the 麻豆直播 Business Idea Pitch event. There the students present their business concept before a panel of judges. 鈥淭he coaching and panel pitch allow students to test their ideas in a real-world setting and receive valuable feedback,鈥� said Blue Ridge business faculty Kim Lee-Asonevich, who coordinates the 麻豆直播 part of the program and also serves as one of the coaches. She added, 鈥淭he experience helps build confidence, communication skills, and grow their entrepreneurial mindset.鈥�
Following the 麻豆直播 pitch competition selected students are invited to advance to the JMU Venture Accelerator, an intensive six-week summer program where they further develop and test their business ideas. 麻豆直播 students participating in the summer program receive a stipend funded through earnings on the Robert Hopkins Strickler and Lorraine Warren Strickler Endowment. Mr. Strickler was a Business Advisory Board member at 麻豆直播, and established this endowment with his wife Lorraine to further entrepreneurship efforts at the College.
Over the past four years, 麻豆直播 students in the JMU Venture Accelerator program have been awarded $15,000 in prize funding to support their business ideas. Previous winners include Kayla Fifer for her bakery business, Creative Confections by Kayla; and Jennifer Santiago Corona for Corona’s Blessings, a homemade treats and baked goods business.
This summer 麻豆直播 mechanical engineering student, Alex Rankin, took home a $3,000 prize from the competition day at JMU! Alex shared his business venture idea 鈥淭hrysus,鈥� a tractor-drawn covered-wagon wine and scenery experience in the Shenandoah Valley for small groups. Alex was named the 鈥淒emo Day鈥檚 Best Tradeshow Booth Award Winner.鈥� This award recognizes excellence in the tradeshow experience, rewarding a founder who created an engaging booth and showcased their business idea with creativity and professionalism.
鈥淚 applied the same mentality I apply with all things, putting intense effort into the details, presentation and quality,鈥� Alex explained. 鈥淭hrysus is a tractor-drawn covered wagon wine experience inspired by German 鈥榩lanwagen鈥� excursions. I seek to generate that gentle communal spirit and ultimately make the journey the product.鈥�