The Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards (GSEA) will host a Qualifying Competition on Thursday, Jan. 26 at Kent State University School of Podiatric Medicine, 6000 Rockside Woods Blvd N in Independence, starting at 1 p.m. GSEA, a program of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), is an awards program for student entrepreneurs, providing students the opportunity to form relationships with fellow enterprising students and the judges.

“Over the course of the past several years, the GSEA awards have been responsible for launching and fostering the entrepreneurial efforts of many local students” said Brain Sprafka, Chair of Cleveland’s GSEA Awards, in a statement. “We look forward to hearing the presentations from these enterprising individuals.”

As qualifying criteria for the program, the four student finalists are in currently enrolled in their undergraduate studies of a recognized college or university and have been primarily responsible for operating a business for no less than six consecutive months. The four presenting students are enrolled at Kent State University, The Ohio State University, and Cuyahoga Community College. The presentations will focus on their business efforts in emergency medicine, software, locally sourced food, and fashion with a philanthropic cause.

The winner of this competition will be sent to compete at the Qualifying Competition in Kansas City, MO, on March 8 – 9,  and will also receive business services and prizes totaling more than $20,000 from Brouse & McDowell, Compass Packaging, Licata Law, Northcoast Angel Fund/Todd Federman, Post-Up Stand, Sales Concepts Inc., Studiothink, and Technical Assurance, Inc.

The winner of the Qualifying Competition will attend the GSEA Finals in Frankfurt, Germany on April 27-29, 2017 to compete with the world’s top student entrepreneurs and have a chance to win over US $400,000 in cash and donated business services.