Undergraduate Hanson Grant Wins Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Regional Competition
The Boston chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) – a global network that connects business owners in order to enhance their lives and businesses – announced today that Babson College student Hanson Grant won the Boston regional Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) competition.
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
An EO program, GSEA is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a for-profit business while attending college. Grant won for his company, Think Board, which creates removable and reusable clear vinyl films that turn any surface into a dry erase board.
The competition, judged by eight EO Boston members, took place Feb. 11 at Digilant’s offices in downtown Boston. Grant, 21, was one of nine local students who qualified to compete. Maya Rafie, a student at Emerson University and CEO of bistara, received second place and Holy Cross student Anthony Saltarelli, CEO of Chin Up, received third place. Out of the applications received, the following five made it to the final presentation round.
| Student Name | Company Name | School |
| Angela Cai | LocalAventura | Dartmouth College |
| Hanson Grant | Think Board | Babson College |
| Raul Jordan | Kynplex, Inc. | Harvard University |
| Maya Rafie | bistara | Emerson College |
| Anthony Saltarelli | Chin Up | College of the Holy Cross |
“I started Think Board from my dorm room at Babson. It solved a problem I had of needing space to write down business ideas and stay organized, but papers got lost, whiteboards were too bulky and dry erase paint was too expensive,” said Grant. “I’ve been lucky to have so many resources at my fingertips here in Boston, and it’s a real honor to be named the regional GSEA winner.”
As the regional winner, Grant will go on to compete in the national finals March 2-3 in Miami. The winner of the national competition will receive a $10,000 cash prize and attend the GSEA global finals in Bangkok, Thailand May 10-12 to compete against the world’s top student entrepreneurs. The winner of the global finals will receive a $20,000 cash prize as well as invaluable in-kind business services provided by EO members and will be named the EO Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year.
“EO’s Global Student Entrepreneur Awards give young business leaders an incredible opportunity to take their business to the next level,” said Dave Stein, EO Boston’s GSEA chair and a judge of the 2016 regional GSEA competition. “It’s inspiring to see young entrepreneurs like Hanson Grant with so much talent and passion. We’ll be cheering for him at the national competition this week.”
About the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
As the premier global competition undergraduate students, the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) attracted more than 1,700 student entrepreneurs from more than 32 countries. Built on a mission to inspire students to start and grow entrepreneurial ventures, GSEA brings global visibility to pioneering student business owners. Founded at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University in 1998, GSEA, has honored outstanding students who simultaneously attend university full-time while running their own businesses. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) took on leadership of the GSEA in 2006 to offer student entrepreneurs access to a global network of mentors, resources and connections from the most influential community of entrepreneurs in the world. The Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s GSEA is generously supported by Thomas Franchise Solutions. To nominate a student entrepreneur or to get involved, go to www.gsea.org and follow GSEA on Twitter at @EO_GSEA.
About the Entrepreneurs’ Organization
The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global business network of more than 10,000 business owners in more than 130 chapters across 40 countries. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO enables small and large business owners to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. The organization’s vision is to build the world’s most influential community of entrepreneurs, which aligns with its mission of supporting entrepreneurial education and engaging entrepreneurs to learn and grow.