About Us

The SpringBoard Ideas Challenge is a mini-business plan competition for collegiate, university, and graduate students as well as faculty from institutes of higher learning within the city limits of Abilene, Texas. These institutions include Abilene Christian University, Cisco Junior College, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, Texas State Technical College, and Texas Tech University at Abilene. SpringBoard is divided into two categories; the student division which includes all undergraduate and masters level students, and the faculty division which includes faculty and doctoral students. This competition fosters business growth at the college and university level by giving participants a chance to organize, direct and present a business idea to a panel of judges.

SpringBoard is hosted by the College of Business Administration at Abilene Christian University and is planned and directed by a committee comprised of both students and faculty at Abilene Christian University. This committee manages the operations of the Challenge which include:

The SpringBoard Ideas Challenge was started by James R. Porter, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at ACU, in an effort to increase the entrepreneurial drive and spirit not only on ACU’s campus, but across Abilene.  Mr. Porter, a resident of The Woodlands, Texas, is a successful venture capitalist and executive brought into ACU to help establish its innovative Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy program.  SpringBoard is just one of the many ways that COBA is continuing to improve the economic outlook in Abilene and abroad by encouraging students and faculty from around Abilene to think entrepreneurially and providing them with a venue to present their ideas for a chance to win prize money, which could be used as start-up capital for their new business.

SpringBoard is held annually at the Mabee Business Building on the campus of Abilene Christian University in the late spring.