Social Media Communications student, Alison Streicher, represented KU by participating in an intercollegiate program that brought students together from several colleges and universities in the Lakeland area. The students were selected to take the semester-long course titled, Innovation and Design, which focused on identifying trends and needs in the marketplace that could lead to business opportunities.  This course was held at Catapult, the business accelerator in Downtown Lakeland that attracts local entrepreneurs and serves as a hub for small business start-ups.

The class was divided into seven teams, and each group was given the task of creating a viable business venture that would serve its community. Alison’s team developed an event-sharing website and designed social media platforms to encourage college students to post events, activities and news from the various campuses. On the final night of class, the teams pitched their business plan to a panel of judges in a format similar to the TV Show, Shark Tank. The judges offered candid feedback on the plausibility of the concept and the quality of the presentation.  Alison did an excellent job representing KU as she interacted with seasoned entrepreneurs and community leaders.  Her group delivered a strong pitch and received praises from the panel and audience members.