Southern Miss to Hold Social Business Challenge Competition Nov. 17

Students representing several teams at The University of Southern Mississippi will tackle one of the state's more pressing problems as part of the “Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge” set for Monday, Nov. 17 on the Hattiesburg campus.

Gov. Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Economic Council, and the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) developed the Social Business Challenge, inviting teams of students from the state's public universities to devise a creative solution and develop a business plan to address one of Mississippi's biggest issues.

One team will be chosen to represent Southern Miss and advance to the state competition at the State Capitol in Jackson next March.

The public is invited to the Southern Miss event that will be held at the Ogletree House, home of the University's Alumni Association. Each team will display presentation boards to a panel of area judges from 4-5 p.m., with five-minute final presentations set for 5-6 p.m. Chad Newell, president of the Area Development Partnership (ADP), will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

“Business faculty and student teams are focused on the governor's challenge to offer plans that may solve key challenges within our state, and that is how we redefine what it means to be successful in business,” said Dr. Faye Gilbert, dean of the Southern Miss College of Business. “Our values emphasize a community spirit and competitiveness, and this challenge encompasses those themes.”

Students are asked to focus their efforts in support of one of the nine goals identified by Blueprint Mississippi. In 2012, Blueprint Mississippi, an independent cooperative of organizations and leaders conducted an objective review of Mississippi's economic opportunities and recommended actions for putting Mississippi in the place of greatest opportunity, identified nine goals to enable a more prosperous, vibrant, and resilient Mississippi, built upon a foundation of economic opportunity for all its citizens.

The nine Blueprint Mississippi goals include:

Increase the Educational Achievement of Mississippians
Cultivate a More Robust Workforce in Mississippi
Strengthen and Expand Mississippi's Economy
Promote Health Care as an Economic Driver
Support Mississippi's Creative Economy
Continually Develop the Infrastructure for a Competitive Economy
Increase Availability of Financial Capital
Cultivate Diversity, Community Cooperation and Racial Reconciliation
Improve Communication and Coordination Among Public, Private and Non-profit Leaders

Judges for the Nov. 17 competition include: Benny Waddle, senior vice president, BancorpSouth and former Alumni Association president; Abb Payne, president of Camellia Healthcare; Julie Breazeale, president of Polk Meats; and Wanda Simpson, director, Forrest County Department of Human Services.

For more information about the “Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge,” visit: www.mississippi.edu/msbc/index.asp