Merrill Mason Judges UNC’s 2nd Annual Carolina Challenge Pitch Party

RALEIGH, N.C. – Merrill Mason, a partner at Raleigh-based law firm Smith Anderson, served as a judge for The University of North Carolina’s (UNC) 2nd Annual Carolina Challenge Pitch Party during Global Entrepreneurship Week on Nov. 15, 2012. 

The annual Carolina Challenge is a student-led business and social venture competition designed to promote entrepreneurship at UNC, including the emerging area of social entrepreneurship, among faculty, staff and students from all schools and departments throughout the University. Each year, it awards $50,000 to the most promising early-stage ventures.

Once teams officially enter the competition in January, they gain access to a wide range of resources to help them learn how to turn their ideas into viable business plans. Activities span the academic year, beginning in the fall with recruitment and team-formation activities to attract the best ideas, as well as demonstrate the value of participating in and winning the competition. Finalists compete for top prizes by presenting their plans to a panel of judges made up of successful entrepreneurs, domain experts or industry professionals with at least five years of related work experience. For more information on the Carolina Challenge Pitch Party, visit www.carolinachallenge.org.