Montana State students win $10,000 in entrepreneurial contest

Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship awarded $10,000 to students who pitched their business ideas during the annual Big Idea Challenge.

During the Nov. 8 contest, 12 finalists — a mix of individuals and small teams — presented their business ideas to a crowded room and participated in a Q&A with a panel of five judges that included Jake Jabs, an MSU alum, founder and CEO of American Furniture Warehouse and benefactor of the business college that bears his name.

“Tonight featured new, innovative ideas that made sense,” Jabs told the crowd. “I like that you’re addressing current issues.”