Theresa Riley Wins Business Concept Competition at Ashland University
Theresa Riley of Pittsburgh, Pa., won the Business Concept Competition at Ashland University and represented Ashland University at the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium (EEC) Northeast Ohio Regional Business Concept Competition at the University of Akron.
Riley won $1,000 for her participation and representation at the EEC Competition and also won $500 for placing first in the Ashland University Business Concept Competition.
Riley is a sophomore Business Management major and Entrepreneurship minor at Ashland University. She is the daughter of Carol and Patrick Riley and a 2009 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School.
Riley operates a business named “Bow and Arrow Couture” and she sells handmade jewelry and hair accessories. She began making her own jewelry and hair accessories after finding that the stores did not carry items she would wear. Almost immediately afterward, friends, family, peers and co-workers were asking her to make them items as well, she said.
That brought her to officially create her business in February 2011. At that time, she entered the Business Concept Competition.
“I entered the Business Concept Competition as a way to learn as much as possible, fine-tune my idea, practice formal presentations, and hopefully receive some money for funding,” Riley said.
And Riley has done just that. Though she is not currently entering additional competitions, she does plan to enter in the future because of her experience at Ashland University and the University of Akron.
“The competitions at Ashland University and University of Akron were wonderful and valuable learning experiences. I am absolutely willing to participate in more competitions for this reason,” Riley said.
Though she is not expecting business to dramatically boom, Riley plans to continue her business through her college years and after graduation.
Bow and Arrow Couture can be found on the web (www.etsy.com/shop/BowAndArrowCouture) and a link to Bow and Arrow Couture’s Facebook page can be found through the website. Items are priced $15-$25.
Riley hopes to one day expand her line to carry items for women of all ages and potentially create a line of men’s dress ties as well.
The Entrepreneurship Education Consortium was created in 2007 by representatives of entrepreneurship programs at seven Northeast Ohio colleges and universities, of which Ashland University was one. The Consortium was initiated with a grant from the Burton Morgan Foundation.
Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private institution conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.
