4/4/24

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - “Farmily,” an entrepreneurial business plan created by four students from the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP), an FHSU partner university, won first place at the 2024 Faulkner Challenge for a Better Future at Fort Hays State University.

Four FHSU and four AUPP teams showcased their talents in the final round of the challenge on March 30.

“This groundbreaking event united students from multiple countries,” said Henry Schwaller, Department of Management instructor. “Their concepts and presentations stood out as some of the best in the event’s history.”

The business plan of the AUPP team, which is comprised of Meilang Hut, Seihareach Mam, Youhorng Kean, and Linda Hurng, centers on a mobile application to connect farmers and vegetable wholesalers. According to their business plan, most vegetables sold in Cambodia are imported from Vietnam and Thailand. A lack of an efficient platform for interaction between farmers and consumers leads to supply chain inefficiencies and reduced transparency.

The second-place award went to FHSU junior Sarah Manry, Larned, for her business plan “Green Life,” a subscription service for fruit/vegetable boxes for small spaces and home gardens.

Winning third place were Piseth Dy, Soun Somanith, Chea Ritheavatey, and Heang Sophea Vatey of AAUP. Their business plan, “Hobbies, Inc.” involves a calendar application designed for youth clubs and groups.

“The opportunity to engage with and to judge Faulkner Challenge student business plans was an exciting and rewarding experience for me as a FHSU faculty member,” said Ed Vengrouskie, FHSU Online management instructor. “The passion and dedication demonstrated by our FHSU and AUPP students in solving community, country, and global sustainability challenges (as outlined in the 17 U.N. Sustainability Goals) was nothing short of incredible.” 

“These were some of the best business plans that I have seen, created by entrepreneurial students who want to make a difference.”

The Faulkner Challenge is a business plan competition designed to develop entrepreneurial imagination and innovation in university students, regardless of major or interests. It is open to any new venture in the conceptual, seed, or startup stages and to students from any community college or university in Kansas. Teams are evaluated on their ability to identify a market opportunity, value proposition, and sustainable competitive advantage.

While all entries are welcome, proposals for innovations in or design of products, processes, systems, services, or businesses that are economically sustainable, with promise for social and environmental benefit, are of particular interest.

"This competition exemplifies FHSU’s commitment to ‘Forward Thinking. World Ready’ by uniting students from diverse cultural backgrounds,” Schwaller said. “Our main objective is for students to learn by doing, or Experiential Learning, and this experience enables them to witness the challenges others encounter and the innovative solutions they devise to overcome them.”

FHSU alum Kevin Faulkner established an endowed fund for the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship business plan challenge that bears his name. He supports the challenge in many ways, including serving as a judge for the competition.