Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
Students talking with an advisor outside at the NAU–Yuma campus

March 2023 Border Entrepreneurial Challenge


The Border Entrepreneurial Challenge (BEC) 2023 will take place March 9–12, 2023, at the AWC/NAU–Yuma campus in Yuma, Arizona, with participants from Mexico and the United States. The purpose is for interested students, college and university alumni, and entrepreneurs to have the opportunity to work with binational teams to pitch new entrepreneurial ideas or expand their existing entrepreneurial projects to a binational panel of judges.

The BEC will give you the opportunity to present your business ideas to potential investors by interacting with different participants from the border region, listening to experts from different entrepreneurial fields, having guided working sessions with mentors, and competing with your team or entrepreneurial idea to gain the spot on the final presentation.

There will be 3 different tracks


Track 1: Students

Graduate and undergraduate students

Purpose/Objectives

The participants in this track will have the opportunity to create and develop a Business Model Canvas and perform a public presentation pitching their entrepreneurial ideas.
They will put into practice and improve specific skills and abilities such as communication and negotiation skills, teamwork, and networking.
They will have the opportunity to present their business ideas to potential investors.

Participation days

Thursday & Friday (Online)

Saturday & Sunday (In-person)

Deliverables

Business Model Canvas

Pitch

First round

All Teams present their Business Model Canvas and pitch to judges for the opportunity to pitch in the final round

Final round

Top 3 teams pitches


Track 2: Alumni/Entrepreneurs

Alumni, entrepreneurs, community

Purpose/Objectives

The participants in this track will have the opportunity to develop their Business Plan for their preconceived business idea and present their pitch to potential investors.

Participation days

Saturday & Sunday (In-person)

Deliverables

Business Model Canvas

Business plan

Pitch

First round

All participants present their Business Model Canvas, business plan, and pitch to judges for the opportunity to pitch in the final round

Final Round

Top 2 pitches


Track 3: Active Business Owners

Active business owners

Purpose/Objectives

The participants in this track will have the opportunity to develop their acceleration/expansion plan and present it to potential investors.

Participation days

Saturday & Sunday (In-person)

Deliverables

Business Model Canvas

Business plan

Financial executive report

First round

All participants present their Business Model Canvas, business plan, and pitch to judges for the opportunity to pitch in the final round

Final round

Top 3 pitches

Schedule


Thursday, March 9th

Online Track 1

6:00 PM Welcome – Introductions
6:15 PM Ice breaker
7:45 PM Proceedings/Model description
8:00 PM Border/Region Challenges presentation and discussion
8:30 PM Closing


Friday, March 10th

Online Track 1

6:00 PM Brief reminder of the model
6:05 PM Ideas/project presentation (60 secs per participant approximately)
8:05 PM Voting (most popular ideas)
8:15 PM Integrate teams (most popular ideas and multidisciplinary teams)
8:45 PM Closing


Saturday, March 11th at the AC Building

9:00 AM Breakfast –  Welcome for Track 2 and 3 — Speaker: Dr. Ricardo Alvarez (Business Model Canvas)
10:00 AM Working sessions – Mentors
2:00 PM Lunch – Speaker: Buna George
3:00 PM Working sessions – Mentors
7:00 PM Dinner – Entrepreneurs Panel: Karla Canales, Paul Cunningham, Karime Hayer, Christian Iniquez, and Dr. Adrian Lopez


Sunday, March 12th at the AC Building

8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Working sessions
10:00 AM Presentations – Judges (5 minutes to present & 5 minutes for Q&A) (AC 282)
12:00 PM Working lunch – Closing Ceremony
1:00 PM Presentations (Pitch to Final Round Judges) (5 minutes to present & 5 minutes for Q&A)
3:00 PM Event Finale

Facilitator

Monica Acosta-Alvarado

Monica Acosta-Alvarado

Erika Martinez Lugo

Erika Martinez Lugo

DR. LINDA ELLIOTT-NELSON

Linda Elliott-Nelson

Dr. Linda Elliott-Nelson retired as Vice President for Learning Services at Arizona Western College. She previously served as Strategic Partnerships/Vinculación, the Dean of Instruction, Division Chair of Modern Languages and Professor of Spanish at Arizona Western College. Her prior work experience also involved several years in the international business sector.
Dr. Elliott-Nelson earned a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University, an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Spanish from Arizona State University, and a B.A. degree from Northern Arizona University. Her activities have included co-founding the Yuma Youth Town Hall; founding and coordinating the Gifted Summer Academy for 4th – 8th graders; co-coordinating the Binational Conference on Education with Baja California, Mexico; serving on the national Modern Language Association Committee on 2-year Colleges; and evaluating employee Spanish language proficiency for the City of Yuma. She was honored with the Heart of Yuma Philanthropist of the Year 2022 in Yuma County, the Shirley Agnos Legacy Award from Arizona Town Hall in 2022, the Arizona Women in Higher Education Woman of the Year in 2021, the International Athena Leadership Award in 2019, the Outstanding University/College Educator Award from the Arizona Language Association in 2000 and the Teacher of the Year from Arizona Western College in 1999.
Dr. Elliott-Nelson has presented internationally on community outreach and engagement, regional collaboration, partnerships, accelerative learning techniques, and community college trends. She served as the Chairman of the Board of Arizona Town Hall during 2015-2017, Chair of Arizona Women in Higher Education Executive Board during 2019-2020, Co-chair of the AZTransfer Steering Committee and Chair of the Arizona Community College Chief Academic Officers, and currently serves on the boards of the Yuma Orchestra Association, Arizona Town Hall, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma, the AHS Rio Colorado Chapter, and the Yuma Regional Partnership Council as well as the steering committee for Southwest Arizona Town Hall. In 2021, Governor Ducey appointed her to the Arizona Historical Society Board. Her current activities focus on community engagement, education, and development in the Arizona/California/Sonora/Baja California mega-region.

 

Speakers

Viridiana Rosales-Trujillo

Viridiana Rosales-Trujillo

Ricardo D. Alvarez, DBA.

Ricardo D. Alvarez, DBA.

Buna George

Buna George

Buna George is the principal owner of LG Advising LLC, a company she created that offers operational and administrative services to regionally based non-profits. Currently, she currently serves as the  Executive Director to the Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA), a private quasi-governmental nonprofit whose purpose is to facilitate regional economic competitiveness via international trade and commerce that crosses through the San Luis Commercial Port or Entry.

Buna was born in is a Yuma, AZ and has grown up on both sides of the US–Mexico border. Her mother, a resident of Los Algodones Baja California moved to Yuma Arizona after meeting Buna’s father who relocated to Yuma from Texas after the Vietnam war. She was taught English and Spanish simultaneously and border culture was embedded in her as of an early age.

Prior to joining the Port Authority, Buna served her community in the real estate profession. From property management, to sales and educating clients, she knows, first hand, the impact a home can make for families and individuals. With a heart for her community, she is part of the Board of Advisors through the Arizona Community Foundation for the Yuma region and serves as a board member to the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce and the Yuma Multiversity Project.

She is honored to be the first-generation University Graduate in her family. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning and Development and is currently pursuing a Master in Legal Studies through the James E. Rogers College of Law through University of Arizona.

One of her favorite quotes is “life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you”. As a young cancer survivor and now business professional, she believes the sky is the limit and that you shouldn’t live by the limitations placed on you by others.

 

Panelists

Karla Canales

Karla Canales

Paul Cunningham

Paul Cunningham

Karime Hayer

Karime Hayer

Christian Iñiguez

Christian Iñiguez

Dr. Adrian H. Lopez

Dr. Adrian H. Lopez

Hotel accommodations

Nearby Hotels:

Thank you to our sponsors!

Notes and Media

BEC 2023 Photo Gallery

Z93 Radio Interview

UABC Radio Interview