Working in teams among 24 competitors, including many experienced “serial entrepreneurs,” the two ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (EMU) juniors each pitched projects to help students connect online. Mensah won second prize for his plan in the 54-hour marathon competition, held at (JMU) on April 5. The group-encouragement idea that Greene pitched didn’t win an award, but it did garner attention from JMU students for its creativity.

“Josh and George were so well-received. They really knocked the socks off the jury,” said EMU professor , PhD, who teaches both students in his business topics course and served as a coach/mentor in the event.

Twelve days later, Mensah was named EMU’s nominee for the to be held May 2, 2013, in Richmond, Va. A panel of five independent judges convened by EMU’s department of business and economics chose Mensah’s business plan as the one “most likely to grow/succeed in 90 days,” an honor that came with $1,000 in prize money.

At Startup Weekend, underwritten by , participants suggested ideas, then formed six teams around the most popular suggestions. Each team had to turn their idea into a full-fledged business plan, and pitch it in five minutes to a panel of judges – a model employed at similar events in 3,500 communities globally, Smith noted.

Mensah, who is from Liberia, proposed a mobile app for students called “Vite-Us.” It could keep classmates informed of events, ranging from parties to performances to chapel services, he said.

Newcomers to campus find “it’s hard to keep up with what’s happening,” he added. His proposal would allow posting of all types of activities, on or off campus. Just-arrived first-year students might follow the site’s link to a campus map and reach their first “barbecue on the hill.”

After tying in an early round with more experienced competitors, Mensah considered dropping out until Dale Strickler, who belonged to a team heading to the sidelines, linked forces with Mensah, identified as one of the potential finalists. In previous years, Strickler had developed software for Rosetta Stone, a leading company for language-learning software. He is now pursuing an executive MBA at . The duo divided up their work this way: Mensah provided creativity in graphics and vision for the business plan, while Strickler focused on its financial aspects and provided mobile app software expertise.

When teams fanned out on the JMU campus to survey students, they found enthusiasm for their Vite-Us pitch, even among visitors from high schools. “We put it on a Facebook page, and [soon] had 50 hits,” Mensah said.

“Anybody could post” on Vite-Us, Mensah suggested. Revenue sources, he said, might include charging students $2 or less to get the program on their iPhones. Businesses could pay to post events. Google ads could be solicited.

The two EMU students, Mensah and Greene, already operate a business, Dub Life LLC, matching classmates with printers and tailors for custom-made clothing. The plan presented at JMU by Greene, of Richmond, was for the formation of groups that would circulate as grassroots initiators of positive reinforcement, giving cheers and high fives, as part of “stepping up and being the Local Growl.”

EMU’s business topics class has centered around developing business plans, experiencing not only the dream of entrepreneurship but the background work, said junior Kate Steury, another student in Anthony Smith’s class. Steury, a , won $550 as “most promising entrepreneur” for her “Express Lane Deliveries, LLC” project in EMU’s business-plan competition.

Eastern Mennonite 3, Philadelphia Biblical 0
The men snapped a three-match skid by beating PBU to close the day.  EMU had a late 6-0 run to break open a close game one and win, 25-19.  The Crimson Eagles led 24-22 in game two, but the Royals rattled off three straight and stole a 27-25 decision.  Eastern Mennonite held a small edge much of game three and finished off with a 25-22 win.

Sophomore (Highland Springs, VA/Highland Spring) led at the net, pounding out 19 kills, a career best for him in a three-game set.   (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) landed eight kills and (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) added seven.  (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) set up 31 assists as the men rebounded to a .295 attack percentage.

Prock had a whopping 14 digs in the sweep.  Middles Grove and (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) each had two solo blocks and two block assists.  Knight had three assists, and he and (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) each had a pair of service aces.

The Royals stand at 7-8 on the season, including 1-3 in the CVC.  They are one of three teams in the CVC East with one win.  EMU has a week off before a tri-match at Philadelphia Biblical on Saturday, March 10.  The men have a non-conference date with PBU to open the day and then play Ramapo.

Sunday, Feb. 5

Nazareth 3, EMU 0

The men opened their final day of play at the invite against No. 5 Nazareth. The Golden Flyers, also the 2011 National Champions, had already won their first three matches at the invite, and they made it four in a row with a sweep of EMU.

Game scores were 25-18, 25-17 and 25-11.

Kendall Garber (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) and John Grove (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) co-led Eastern Mennonite with six kills apiece. Garber also had a team high five digs. John Barry (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) had 19 assists.

After a dominant defensive showing at the net in Saturday’s matches, the Royals had just one triple block against Nazareth.

Elmira 3, EMU 2

The Soaring Eagles were receiving votes in this week’s AVCA poll, but were just outside of the top 15. Eastern Mennonite went back-and-forth with Elmira, but came up on the short end.

Elmira won the first set 25-16, but the Royals came back with some good serving to win set two, 25-18. The trend continued, as the teams split three and four, 25-14 to Elmira and 25-19 to EMU.

The Royals started with a slight edge in the decisive fifth set. But the Soaring Eagles tacked in a couple of late points to sneak out a 15-13 closer.

Chris Moise (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) led a balanced attack for the men with 14 kills. Greg Knight (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) had nine kills and three service aces. Garber and Grove each added eight kills while Barry put down seven of his own from the setter’s spot. He also had 35 assists.

Kyle Storc (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) had two solo blocks and two block assists. Barry had nine digs and Moise added seven.

Eastern Mennonite, 3-4 on the season, now returns to Yoder Arena, where the Royals will host their next five matches. Those five are also the only home matches of the season.

Saturday, Feb. 4

EMU 3, Medaille 0

Eastern Mennonite opened up with Medaille, which entered as the No. 10 team in the AVCA National Poll and had already won its first three matches at the invite. The Royals jumped ahead early and took game one by a 25-20 score. The Mavericks regrouped, but EMU still had the leg up in a pair of tight 27-25 wins to close the match.

John Grove (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) was unstoppable out of the middle, hammering a career high 11 kills on just 14 attacks. His attack percentage of .786 was just shy of the school record of .833.

Chris Moise (Hollywood, FL/South Broward) added 10 kills and Kendall Garber (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) put down nine kills on 18 attempts. John Barry (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) had a great time setting up the offense as he racked up 37 assists in the sweep.

The Royals also dominated the net defensively, with 12.5 blocks. Kyle Storc (Westerville, OH/Bishop Watterson) had six block assists and one solo stuff. Greg Knight (Chesapeake, VA/Hickory) added two of each, as well as two service aces.

Libero Nolan Prock (Virginia Beach, VA/Frank W. Cox) picked up 13 digs.

EMU 3, Fontbonne 0

The Royals turned around and took on Fontbonne from the CVC West. The Griffins proved no match for the men, as EMU ran away with a sweep. Game scores were: 25-21, 25-15 and 25-16.

Eastern Mennonite hit .462 as a team with just four errors, including .524 in set two and .765 in the final set.

Everyone got involved, led by Grove’s seven swats. George Greene (Highland Springs, VA/Highland Springs) had kills on all six of his attempts. Garber also had six, while Moise and Knight each landed five. Barry had 29 assists.

Prock again led in the back row, digging up 10 Fontbonne spikes. Garber added eight.

The Royals also had six total blocks, led by Storc’s five block assists.

EMU hosts a tri-match on Saturday, Feb. 11, against Pfeiffer and Philadelphia Biblical University. The men take on Pfeiffer at 10:30am and PBU at 7:00pm. The two other teams play each other early in the afternoon, with the EMU women’s basketball team also playing a home game at 4:00pm.