The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Mississippi State University is hosting its fourth-annual Entrepreneurship Week competition April 6-10.
​EWeek is a weeklong student start-up competition where as many as 30 teams compete for cash prizes totaling over $40,000 in seed money for the business they would like to start.
​Anja Scheib, sophomore business major, said she believes eWeek is a great event to participate in. 
“I have personally known people who have benefitted from the experience either by winning, networking or building friendships,” Scheib said.
​Scheib said events such as eWeek will open up greater opportunities for students in the local areas so they do not have to leave the state in order for their business to be successful.
​“MSU needs programs like this because Mississippi suffers from something called ‘brain drain’ where students with great ideas leave Mississippi for opportunities. This keeps opportunity local,” Scheib said.
​Sara McMahan, junior biological engineering major, said she believes eWeek gives participants experience they can apply in the real world, and the event will benefit the university greatly.
​“This gives students real-world experience while they are obtaining their degrees, and it is important because I feel like there are not many opportunities like this on campus,” McMahan said. “It benefits MSU because it gives the university exposure to future employers that have a chance to develop a good impression on the university and hopefully, help support the university and its students in the future.”
Shavon Gandy, senior business major at MSU, said eWeek would benefit students by providing them financial support to start their businesses.
“I think it is good because most students do not have the funds to start a business, so the event is very important and can be very beneficial to students,” Gandy said. “The students will feel more compelled to give back to MSU due to the jump start they were given.”