PBU’s Students in Free Enterprise Team
Places in Top 12 at National Competition

May 2006

Are Bible, business and faith a potent formula for effective and ethical business practices? Members of Philadelphia Biblical University's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) think so and proved it during the SIFE USA National championships May 21-23 in Kansas City where they finished in the top 12 among 163 regional SIFE championship teams from universities around the country who were assembled to demonstrate their ability to practice and teach the principles of free enterprise.

PBU-SIFE stopped short of advancing to the final round of only 4 competitors, but did place as a second runner up for that round right under last year’s national SIFE champion, Drury University. This is the first time in the history of the university the SIFE team advanced this far.They had won at the regionals in March which narrowed the field from 950 SIFE teams to the 163 that competed at nationals, then advanced to the top twenty  in  the competition in Kansas City and finished  in the top twelve in the nation.

This was not PBU-SIFE’s first run at Nationals.  They competed in 2005 and were eliminated in the first round.  But the PBU team went back to work the following year, working on a total of 16 new or ongoing projects implemented by 30 team members.   

One project aided an import retailer of authentic handcrafts made by impoverished South American artisans.  The team’s work in developing a company name, logo, missions statement and eBay store for the retailer resulted in a 300 percent increase in profit and manpower increase from three to fifteen.  Another project, closer to home, utilized an “entrepreneurship game” to teach students at George Washington High School, an inner city school in Philadelphia, the eight essential elements for starting a new business.   Another aided impoverished Haitians working to grow their business and import botannicals into the United States.
                                                                                                
Even though PBU-SIFE competed against chapters in existence far longer than its seven years and with far greater financial resources than its annual budget of $500 (one top competitor and this year's national champion, Graceland University,  has a $10 million endowment), the VP’s and CEO’s who serve as judges were impressed by PBU-SIFE’s effective use of resources and the impact the projects had on those who were economically impoverished.  PBU SIFE plans to supplement next year’s budget with the $3,000 in award monies they received at nationals.  PBU defeated Texas State, Elmira College and Shippensburg University among others in head to head competition.

Senior PBU Bible and Business major Jason Earle noted, “After presenting at the National Exposition for the past two years, I have fully realized the importance of having strong Christian leaders in today’s business world.  We competed against many SIFE teams who focus on making money or gaining recognition. PBU-SIFE stood out amongst the 163 other regional champions who competed in Kansas City because of our unashamed passion to glorify God through serving others.  Judges, faculty advisors and SIFE students were amazed at our professionalism, dedication to excellence and integrity.  It is crucial to have compassionate Christians in the secular marketplace trying to better the world.  PBU-SIFE is training up students to do exactly this.”

SIFE, a non-profit organization founded in 1974, works in partnership with business and higher education to provide students the opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

PBU SIFE is directed by  faculty member and SIFE Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow Gail Benchener.  The fellowship was created in 1990 by the Wal-Mart Foundation.