2024 Middleton Business Plan Competition
The Middleton Business Plan Competition was held on April 19 -20, 2024 on the University of North Dakota campus at Nistler Hall.
Open to all UND students, 22 teams initially entered the competition. In the preliminary round, 11 student teams presented their business plans to 10 judges. Entrepreneurship faculty, Dr. Sanjay Goel and Dr. Sheila Hanson were event coordinators aided by partners such as the North Dakota Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to prepare participants to compete.
Four finalists advanced to the final round. Judges were Dr. Amy Henley, Dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, Tom Shorma, retired CEO/President of WCCO Belting, Barry Wilfahrt, President & CEO, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, Hal Gershman, Harry’s Steakhouse, and Monica Musich, SCORE.
The winner of the Sandra Braathen Memorial Business Plan Grand Prize of $15,000 was Johnson Curbing – Cooper Johnson (Entrepreneurship major). The runner-up with a $10,000 award was BitGrow – Charlie Andrys (Entrepreneurship major). 
Many were involved in making this event a success, including at total of fifteen judges, and numerous volunteers, faculty, and staff at the Nistler College. The Sandra Braathen Memorial Business Plan Competition Grand Prize was named in honor of Dr. Sandy Braathen, Langemo Faculty Fellow and Professor in the Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management.
This high impact experience for students is made possible through support of donors Tom and Konnie Middleton.
