Founded in 2001, The Donald W. Reynolds Governors Cup – a collegiate business plan competition with one of the largest prize pools in the country – sends a message to students, educators, and the business community that the resources to succeed in business can be found in Arkansas.
In 2004, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation expanded, adding another competition in which the top Arkansas teams advance to the Tri-State Competition in Las Vegas, competing against winning teams from Nevada and Oklahoma for a share of $118,000.
Y.E.S. introduces students in grades 5–8 to entrepreneurship through project-based learning. Throughout the competition, students are given the opportunity to showcase creativity, intuition, problem-solving skills and innovation as they collaborate to think of a viable business idea.
Y.E.S. 2.0 for high-schoolers is an online-only business plan competition that fosters the development of entrepreneurial thinking as students prepare to enter postsecondary institutions and/or the workforce. Thousands of students have participated and have been awarded more than $20,000 in cash prizes.