BUCKHANNON – A team from West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Thomas H. Albinson School of Business placed second in the West Virginia Innovation and Business Model Competition held at Marshall University earlier this week.

Derek Hess ’23, a theatre arts major and music minor; Taylor Pugh ’22, a musical theatre major and business minor, and Elizabeth Harvey ’23, a mathematics major with music and business minors, created a business concept from their like-minded interests.

The three comprise Incubation Productions, a business designed to bring filmography and video production education to West Virginia and provide quality production media to businesses, communities and individuals at an affordable price.

Hess said, “The experience was certainly eye-opening, and we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to go. I was especially surprised at the number of people that came to us after our presentation, ready to offer exciting tips and ideas. It was all very gratifying.”

The team is part of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship class taught by Dr. Tracie Dodson and was coached for the competition by Dodson and Dr. Josh Beck.

“It was very fulfilling to see students’ ideas come to life and for them to flourish in a very competitive professional environment,” Beck said.

Incubation Productions won the West Virginia Wesleyan College competition from among 11 different business ideas to advance to Marshall’s competition. The WVWC competition was judged by Jennifer Bostian, executive director of the Upshur County Development Authority and Dr. Susan Aloi, community engagement specialist at Community Care of West Virginia.

Dodson and members of the Incubation Productions team will travel to Charleston April 6 to present at the West Virginia Innovation and Business Model Competition Showcase.