About e-Fest®

e-Fest® is delivered in partnership with the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship and EIX.org, a non-profit online platform for entrepreneurship education. e-Fest is a three-day event that brings together the top 25 teams from a national pool of online business plan submissions. e-Fest features four competitions, professional development workshops, presentations from prominent business leaders, and a keynote presentation delivered by Richard M. Schulze, the benefactor of e-Fest and the founder and chairman emeritus of Best Buy.

e-Fest begins with an online round of judging each January.
Student teams submit a business pitch, including a slide deck and video presentation, which are reviewed by a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals. Each submission receives multiple anonymous judging scores, which are used to determine the Top 25 Finalist Teams. Learn more about the judging criteria.

Following the online round, the Top 25 Finalist Teams are invited to compete in person at e-Fest, hosted by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All finalist teams receive travel stipends to attend.

Being named an e-Fest finalist is a significant achievement in itself. Finalist teams spend three immersive days pitching their ventures, learning from top judges and mentors, connecting with fellow student entrepreneurs from across the country, and gaining national exposure. Teams also compete for a share of over $250,000 in cash prizes and have the opportunity to engage with leaders in entrepreneurship, including Richard M. Schulze, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy.