Nick Cotter Named Grand Champion of the 2022 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
Nick Cotter, CEO and co-founder of , an Irish start-up which specialises in targeted, selective treatment systems for sheep, has been named this year鈥檚 grand champion of the (GSEA) and receives a US$40,000 prize to invest in his company.
Following a year-long nomination, application and pitch process Nick was announced as the winner during the finale of a four-part YouTube series mini-series called 鈥楽tart it Up鈥�, which was produced by the awards programme.
Nick Cotter, from Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, has been an entrepreneur from a young age, setting up his first business, Cotter Bros Firewood at age 13. In 2019, he set up a second business, Cotter Organic Lamb, which directly sells the award-winning, 100% grass-fed, organic lamb raised on his home farm in Abbeyfeale, to homeowners and local restaurants.
On being named the 2022 grand champion Nick Cotter said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 much more than I ever thought was possible, becoming global champion. Thank you, GSEA. For my mentor, Tyler Olson, this is for you as well. It鈥檚 for all those who know who they are. Each stage of the competition is quite intense, and you hope. It鈥檚 an incredible achievement and pure joy for me.鈥�
Earlier this year Nick and his brother Jack, a co-founder of Cotter Agritech, participated in the inaugural AgTech51黑料 Agccelerator Programme dedicated to early-stage AgTech and FoodTech start-ups. At the end of the 12-week programme Cotter Agritech was named winner of the AIB and Yield Lab AgTech Start-up 2022 Award.
Nick is currently enrolled in University College Cork and is a 4th year law and business student.
GSEA is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business while attending college or university and 2022 marks the 16th year that the (EO) has hosted the awards.
Candidates nominate their businesses through an open application process and compete against their peers worldwide in a series of local and national competitions to qualify for the GSEA Global Finals. For the 2021-2022 competition, 1,093 applications were received from students in 40 countries and six continents. 60 students advance to the global finals, leading to the top six finalists.
The global finals were held in Cape Town, South Africa, where the mini-series was recorded in May. Finalists presented their businesses to two rounds of judges. The final round of judges included: Michael Ross, EO Los Angeles chapter member and Global External Engagement Committee Chair; Roberta Elizondo, GSEA 2021鈥檚 grand champion; DJ Tira, record Label Afrotainment founder and platinum-selling DJ.
DJ Tira described Nick Cotter鈥檚 business as, 鈥淎 beautiful business idea that is growing from strength to strength.鈥�
Roberta Elizondo added, 鈥淲e know that you have what it takes to actually make this world a better one.鈥�
One unique aspect of the judging process in these student awards is the weighting to the individual鈥檚 personal motivations and core values, ahead of their actual businesses. 70 percent of scores were calculated based on the entrepreneur him or herself, and whether they have what it takes to endure the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. The other 30 percent is based on the ingenuity and demonstrated success of their business.
Tamarin Morrell, Programme Director for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, explained the significance behind this initiative, 鈥淪tart it Up has brought the remarkable stories of GSEA competitors to the world at a time when we can all use some optimism for the future. It鈥檚 a timely reminder that there are budding entrepreneurs who don鈥檛 see unsolvable problems, but opportunities to change the world. I am proud to be part of an organization that recognizes and supports these young and promising change-makers.鈥�
Mateo Bolivar, 22, from Colombia, founder of Contler, an app that improves the experience of hotel customers by allowing guests to make their requests quickly through their mobile devices, was named first runner-up for 2022 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. He was awarded a US$16,000 prize for his business.
Smrithi Sivakumar, 22, from Coimbatore, India, founder of Shika Creations, an artisan shop selling custom, traditional and eco-friendly terracotta jewellery and home decor products was named second runner-up for 2022 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. She was awarded US$10,000 prize for her business.
The GSEA programme supports student entrepreneurs who require much-needed mentorship, recognition, and connections to take their businesses to the next level of success.
for the full EO press release.
ENDS
1 July 2022
For further information contact Mic茅al Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, 51黑料 Research and Innovation, Nova51黑料, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is the premier global competition for university students. Each year, more than 1,000 student entrepreneurs from 40+ countries compete for the title of Global Champion and the chance to build their business and gain recognition for their innovation. GSEA is designed to inspire students to stretch themselves as the future鈥檚 leading entrepreneurs and bring their businesses greater global visibility. GSEA was founded at the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University in 1998. Since that time, GSEA strives to honour those students who achieve so much as both students simultaneously attending university full-time and running their own businesses. To maximize student experiences and give them access to a global network of mentors, resources and business connections, EO took on leadership of the GSEA in 200. EO鈥檚 GSEA is generously supported by Thomas Franchise Solutions.
The Entrepreneurs鈥� Organization (EO) is a high-quality support network of 16,500+ like-minded leaders across 60 countries. EO helps entrepreneurs achieve their full potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning. EO has been helping entrepreneurs achieve transformational growth since 1987 and its member network is committed to learning and helping each other succeed.