Summer News

Venture Capitalists, read up on Daniel Hudak's unique Strategy Crafting Concept for Entrepreneurial Startup Ventures and set aside September 28th for the Women's Entrepreneurship Event.

 

Entrepreneurs, check out what our Portfolio Companies, Dayna Designs and Hook & Ladder Brewing Company, are up to in the Portfolio Company Spotlight. Also, mark your calendars for September 28th for the Women's Entrepreneurship Event!

 

Students, are you in the market for a computer? Get a great discount and purchase from Academic Computers for Terps a new program through the Dingman Center! Also, be sure to get your pitches ready for the kick-off Pitch Dingman Review, starting Friday, September 22nd in 3570 Van Munching Hall.  Five minutes is all it takes to win $500!

 

Other interesting links:

• Read up on an entrepreneurship event coming soon entitled "No Substitute for Experience."

• The Dingman Center was featured on Smith Business Close-Up, a television segment co-produced by the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Maryland Public Television.

• Our Fall 2006 Calendar is ready, mark your calendars! 

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Upcoming Events

Smith China Business Plan Competition

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business is sponsoring its second annual China Business Plan Competition. The competition, themed "Building Leaders for the Digital Economy" is organized by the Smith School's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and will bring together entrepreneurs and business executives from around the world to compete for a total of $50,000 in prize money, including a $25,000 grand prize, $15,000 second prize and $10,000 third prize.

 

September 13, 2006 - final round competition. Five selected finalists will make 10-minute presentations of their business plans as well as participate in a feedback session with the judges. The judges for the final round will include representatives of leading venture capital firms. The final round competition will also include a post-conference networking event so individual VCs and entrepreneurs will have opportunities to discuss business ideas and investment opportunities.

 

For more information please see the Smith website.

 

 

Women's Entrepreneurship Event and Networking Reception

This event will feature some of the region's most successful women entrepreneurs who will share their experiences on how they built their companies and the invaluable lessons that they learned along the way. Hear the winning strategies that they employed to propel their businesses to the next level and how you can use them in your own business. Learn more about specific growth strategies and practices that will help your company reap greater profits, expand market share and capitalize on lucrative opportunities. Discussions will include how to respond effectively to industry trends and changing regulatory requirements, how to develop a plan for implementing new ideas and programs effectively company wide, and what capital and legal issues need to be addressed to fuel your growth. Speakers will also answer questions from the audience. A networking reception with refreshments will be provided throughout the evening.

Speakers:

Julie Lenzer Kirk
Beware the Bobblehead: Not Letting “Yes” Keep Your Business from Thriving
We've been trained to get to ‘yes'. We feel good when people agree with us. Unfortunately, building a business around the wrong ‘yeses' can be the kiss of death. In this talk, Julie Lenzer Kirk shares her experiences with the ‘yeses' that can be harmful - even deadly – and provides tips to help you avoid and overcome them to make your business THRIVE!

Amy Nichols
Growth and What It Means for You and Your Business
Amy Nichols will share her personal growth story and the challenges she faced in making the change from being a day to day manager to a CEO with vision to lead the company. In this transition, Amy decided to grow the business throughout the U.S. via the franchising model. She will discuss what it means to be a franchisor and how this growth vehicle will spell success for her company.

Gina Schaefer
Other People's Money
Growing your business not only relies on a strong business model and execution plan, but requires capital to do so. Gina will discuss the importance of leveraging other people's money and managing the company's assets as vital to the growth process. In doing so, she has also learned to love the financial management side of running a business for growth balanced with maintaining flexibility in changing business climates.

Penny Pompei
Preparing for Life After Growth
Growth happens. Burn-out happens. Serial Entrepreneurs happen. Leaders must always be thinking about the company's exit strategy. From strategy to operations to financial management, all aspects of your business should be managed with your exit plan in mind. Penny will talk about what all entrepreneurs should consider as the sun sets on their business.

This event is co-sponsored by the Smith Association of Women MBAs. Please click here to register.

For more information contact Melissa Carrier.
Thursday, September 28th, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m., 2517 Van Munching Hall

 

 

Pitch Dingman Competition

This event is held monthly and is a follow-up to our weekly walk-in Pitch Dingman held on Fridays at 11:00 a.m.  Come to the monthly competition, present your business idea in 5 minutes to a panel of judges from the Dingman Center, and you could win $500!  For information about the weekly Pitch Dingman sessions on Fridays or the monthly Pitch Dingman competitions, e-mail Melissa Carrier.

Pitch Dingman Review Starting Friday, September 22nd, and held continuously each Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 3570 Van Munching Hall

 

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Event Summaries

 

A Strategy Crafting Concept for Entrepreneurial Startup Ventures

 

On July 12th, Daniel Hudak, from UMUC, presented the basic concept underlying his dissertation thesis titled" "A Strategy Crafting Approach for the Special Case of the Independent, Growth-Oriented, Entrepreneurial, Startup Venture."

 

His basic objective is to create a simple intuitive approach that facilitates crafting a creative idea into a unique and definitive new venture strategy.  Hudak's approach is designed to achieve two basic objectives: 1. incorporate relevant academic knowledge at the right time and place to compliment the entrepreneur's intuitive insight and 2. facilitate insight into the alternate opportunities and strategies inherent in the entrepreneur's creative vision. 

 

His assumption is that the "right" academic knowledge on strategy applied at the "right" decision point in the strategy crafting art can complement the entrepreneur's intuitive insights and yield an enhanced new venture strategy.  This approach is designed for independent, growth oriented, entrepreneurial startup ventures in the US business culture.

 

The proposed strategy crafting concept represents a significant first step towards a simple intuitive approach, a complement and enhancement to the entrepreneur's intuitive insight, and a natural approach for incorporating relevant academic knowledge into entrepreneurial strategy.

 

For more information on Daniel Hudak's presentation please view his presentation slides and video link, or contact Daniel at dhudak@umuc.edu.

 

 

 

Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship featured on Smith Business Close-Up

 

Smith Business Close-Up is co-produced by the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Maryland Public Television. The television segment focuses on the latest thinking in business management, and features in-depth interviews with Smith School faculty and other members of the school's community of business leaders.

Tune in for this special edition of Smith Business Close-Up, to find out how the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship has supported entrepreneurship in the Washington, D.C. area for 20 years.

The Dingman Center and its team of about 20 people, which includes entrepreneurs-in-residence, senior fellows and MBA students, offers students and regional entrepreneurs assistance evaluating business plans, mentoring, early stage capital networking and a host of other services.

The Dingman Center has helped students develop a company that sells university-branded jewelry; a board game company that has just put out two games called “Cluzzle” and “Wits and Wagers,” and a beer company that's up and running and on tap in restaurants in the D.C. region – and these are just a few examples of how the Dingman Center encourages entrepreneurship in a practical way. Reporter Lou Davis talks to Dingman associates and scholars, providing a history and overview of the successful center.

Watch the Video:

    Windows Media: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/sbcu/wmv/Dingman.wmv
    Real: http://realtime.rhsmith.umd.edu:8080/ramgen/BMGT/sbcu/Dingman.rv
    iTunes Podcast: http://realtime.rhsmith.umd.edu/media/podcasts/SBCU_Dingman.m4v
    Audio/MP3: http://realtime.rhsmith.umd.edu/media/podcasts/SBCU_Dingman.mp3

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Academic Computers for Terps:

The Dingman Center and the Office of Information Technology collaborate to form new program.

 

By Karl Olson MBA 2007

 

In July, a new program, Academic Computers for Terps (ACT)  came online, allowing students, faculty, and staff to purchase Apple and Dell computers at prices below standard discounts. The culmination of nearly a year of work, ACT is the product of a unique collaboration between the Dingman Center and the University's Office of Information Technology (OIT). 

 

The size of University of Maryland, combined with the eagerness of computer manufacturers to target students, gives the university significant purchasing power to negotiate deals that students would not be able to achieve individually.  More than a discount, ACT computers come with substantial added benefits in technical support and warranty protection.  Each computer includes a four-year warranty and on campus technical support. A help desk, located in the Computer and Space Sciences building and staffed by certified technicians, will eliminate the need to send a computer back to the manufacturer for service.  More can be discovered about the program at www.act.umd.edu.

 

Through Dean Frank, Jeffrey Huskamp, University Vice President and CIO, contacted the Dingman Center, seeking a partner to help bring the program to life.  A team of three MBA candidates, Karl Olson, Abinash Tiwari and Demetris White, was assembled and worked closely with OIT's Executive Director and OIT's Director of User Support throughout the first half of 2006. 

 

Utilizing the strengths of their individual backgrounds and calling upon the expertise of the Dingman Center and their Smith professors, the students each contributed to the project in different ways.  Demetris White, a JD/MBA candidate, provided a benchmarking report, detailing similar programs at other institutions that was used to envision possible directions in which the program could be built.  Karl Olson, the team's coordinator, created an integrated marketing strategy to broadcast the program's launch.  Ads on campus buses, in Facebook, and the various branches of the student press, in conjunction with proposed promotional events, are targeted to ensure that every member of the campus community is aware of the benefits of ACT.  Abinash Tiwari brought his financial acumen and significant IT experience to the program, working on both the committee that established the standards of the computers to be offered at Maryland as well as the team that reviewed and evaluated bids from the various vendors.

 

The team's most important contribution, however, was the collective voice they provided, working with the OIT to establish a program that would suit the unique needs of Maryland students.  Four-year warranties, which are prohibitively expensive on computers bought through retail channels, will allow students and their parents to purchase a computer when a student enters as a Freshman and know that it will last through graduation.  On-campus technical support provides easy and immediate solutions whenever help is needed.  Loaner computers are available, ensuring that a hardware glitch no longer means time without a computer.  Moreover, Apple and Dell will be training student technicians, providing them with valuable certification.  Both companies are contributing to a fund that will assist students on financial aid in buying computers.

 

ACT's successful launch is testament not only to the persistence and effort of the OIT, and the Dingman team of students, but to the benefit of cross-campus collaboration.  “Programs like this are tremendously beneficial,” said Asher Epstein, Managing Director of the Dingman Center.  “They give Smith students hands on experience tackling real problems and allow the University to take advantage of the impressive skills these students bring to the University.”

 

 

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Check out our Portfolio! - Feature Companies:

Dayna Designs and Hook & Ladder Brewing Company

 

 

A Hobby Becomes a Business:
This Maryland MBA turned a jewelry-making hobby into a startup business. Her MBA experience helps her see the big picture.

 
Dana Lande
CEO
Dayna Designs
MBA Class of 2004,
University of Maryland's Smith School of Business

A Day in the Life Index

I am the founder and CEO of my own company, Dayna Designs. We design and manufacture sterling silver and natural gemstone jewelry. I started the company while finishing my MBA at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business, where I was on the entrepreneurship track. I had expected to take over the family business, but after much deliberation, I decided to start my own company instead.

I love jewelry and had taken up jewelry-making as a hobby. Following a warm reception to my designs by family and friends, I realized the hobby could be a business and began Dayna Designs in April, 2004, with DAYNA, a designer division of boutique jewelry for professional women.

After presenting the business in one of my MBA classes, I was approached by several peers requesting terrapin jewelry to commemorate their time at Maryland. I developed a line—including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings—using natural stones like red coral and onyx to celebrate the university's red and black colors, and sterling silver turtle charms to honor Testudo, the university's mascot. Not only did my friends love their jewelry, but the college and alumni stores loved the line as well. The Dayna U [http://www.daynau.com] collegiate mascot jewelry division was born!

Here's what a typical work day looks like for me:

8:00 a.m.—Since our offices are in my home in Beltsville, Md., I wake up at 8 and am "at the office" by 9. Each employee who works for me sets his/her own schedule, so several employees are already at their desks and working when I'm just getting up.

9:00 a.m.—The first item on the agenda is to say good morning to my team of four here at HQ. Then I hop on e-mail to see if any orders have come in overnight or if our employee out in L.A. has written any news.

9:30 a.m.—Today I have a sales call with the Alumni Association at the University of Maryland, one of our very first wholesale customers for the collegiate mascot jewelry division. I spend the next hour preparing a packet of information that includes their past sales, samples of our current line of Terrapins Jewelry, and new promotional marketing materials we've developed since their previous annual order in July, 2005.

10:30 a.m.—I meet with the marketing coordinator of the alumni association at their office in College Park. Together, we check their current inventory levels and talk about past successes, and then I show new fall products and probe for possible marketing opportunities for the fall season. After an hour or so, we've placed a small order and discussed ideas about how to better display the product.

Noon—It's time for lunch! By noon I'm usually starving, so I'm eager to go to the kitchen and heat up some leftovers for lunch. Several of my employees have a habit of eating at their desks, but we're trying to break that habit.

12:30 p.m.—Time to check in with my vice-president in California. She and I have two check-in calls per week, usually lasting about two hours each. Today we need to discuss the upcoming launch of our new DaynaU.com Web site, the rollout of a graduation promotion for 2007, and the plans for her visit to HQ next week.

2:30 p.m.—Now I need a snack. I'm expecting twins, and I'm constantly hungry. I run over to the kitchen and grab an orange and my water bottle before heading back to my office to check e-mail.

2:45 p.m.—I have a monthly check-in call with one of our sales reps in New York. It's tough to get hold of these traveling salespeople, so I'm happy to get his attention for 15 minutes. We discuss the universities he will be visiting this week as well as any objections or concerns he's heard from customers regarding our products. I finish with a pep talk about our sales goals for the month.

3:00 p.m.—I check in briefly with our tech guy to see how his work on the Web site is coming along. And then rush into a feedback session with our marketing director. I do feedback with every employee once per month in order to raise specific accomplishments and needs for improvement over the past month. Our feedback is reciprocal, so this is also a chance for all employees to offer their thoughts and concerns about the company, policies, work environment, or my job as a manager.

4:00 p.m.—I'm training a new employee on inventory management, so I work with her for about two hours, showing her some of the features of our inventory management system as well as packaging and shipping standards. We then work on an outstanding order for the University of Illinois as an example of how to quality-check, package, label, and invoice an order.

6:00 p.m.—Now I'm ready for another break, so I check my e-mail while munching on some popcorn. I had been working for the past three months to acquire a business loan from a bank in order to help fund our growth this year. Since that loan finally came through a week ago, I am now researching money market accounts in which to manage the loan. The next hour is spent doing online research and making phone calls.

7:15 p.m.—My husband calls to let me know that he's left the office and will be home in about 45 minutes. This is usually my cue to close my e-mail and put my feet up for a few minutes. I walk over to the kitchen to decide what we're going to eat for dinner, and then I relax on the couch and close my eyes for a bit.

8:00 p.m.—My husband and I usually eat dinner in front of the television—a little mind-numbing fun after a long day!

9:00 p.m.—I usually check in with either a friend or family member via phone in the evening. In the meantime, my husband starts his "second job"—working with me, designing a new feature on our Web site. He is our resident graphic designer, and his work for the business gets done after hours.

10:30 p.m.—I check my personal and work e-mail one last time before getting ready for bed. And then I read a fun book for a half hour or so before hitting the sack.

I don't think I needed an MBA to get where I am today, but it has helped me tremendously. I had previous experience in small business and sales; but in the process of getting my MBA, I gained a more well-rounded perspective of what goes into creating a successful company. If I could go back to B-school, I would take more courses in banking and accounting. Creativity and business sense are vital; but if the numbers aren't there, then neither is the business.

Before I started Dayna Designs, I didn't fully understand what it would feel like to run my own business. Despite having worked with my father in his business, I wasn't fully aware of the weight I would feel on my shoulders until I did it for myself. It also has taken a bit of adjustment to learn how to schedule my own time and that of my employees.

When starting a business, there is no inherent structure in place, so I had to create a work environment, business systems, and company policies. I've loved doing most of it, but it definitely was more work just to get things up and running than I anticipated.

Unfortunately, there's no magic bullet here. My best advice to MBAs is to be as persistent as you can in pursuing your passions. And at the same time, don't forget to balance your work and your life—you only live once and you should enjoy what you do!

 

 

Giving Back to Baltimore's Firefighters
Hook & Ladder Brewing Company teams up with Baltimore Beer Distributor to put a

“Penny in Every Pint” for local firefighters

 

Silver Spring, MD---Hook & Ladder Brewing Company was built on the principal of giving back to firefighters, and now, Baltimore's newest beer is getting others into the act.

 

Hook & Ladder, based in Silver Spring, MD, recently teamed with The Winner Distributing Company,  a Baltimore distributor, and together will be making regular contributions to the Metropolitan Firefighters Burn Center Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured firefighters and burn patients in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

 

“Baltimore has a proud firefighter tradition, and we're excited to become part of that community,” says Hook & Ladder Chief Operating Officer and longtime volunteer firefighter Rich Fleischer. “We've taken a passion for good beer, a passion for firefighting, and a passion for giving back to the community, and melded them together.”

 

Hook & Ladder has always donated proceeds from each barrel sold to local firefighter burn foundations, and now, together with matching contributions from Winner Distributing Company, will donate $4 per barrel sold to the Metropolitan Firefighter's Burn Center Fund.  Previously, Hook & Ladder has been distributed primarily in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and has donated more than $4,000 to the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation since the beginning of the year.

 

Hook & Ladder features two draft beers Golden Ale (2001 GABF Gold Medal Winning Golden Ale and Backdraft Brown) that are now available in establishments throughout the city.  “It was a natural fit for us,” says Winner Distributing Company Executive Vice President John Daue. “Hook & Ladder's corporate philosophy of giving back to the community echoes our efforts. This company is all about the firefighter, from their donations to the Burn Foundation to their Signature Firefighter Axe Tap.”

 

Hook & Ladder will also be attending the 2006 Firehouse Expo July 25-30 at the Baltimore Convention Center. In addition to their booth inside the Convention Center where they are bound to be a popular stop for firefighters, Hook & Ladder will be “available to 16,000 firefighters” participating in Firehouse Expo events throughout the week.

 

About Hook and Ladder Brewing Co.

Headquartered in Silver Spring, MD, Hook & Ladder Brewing Co. was founded in 1999 in San Francisco by brothers Rich and Matt Fleischer. The brew quickly gained a following in local bars, and soon won the prestigious gold medal in the American-style Wheat Category at the Great American Beer Festival, beating out 53 brewers around the country. With a gold medal and successful business concept, the brothers moved Hook & Ladder back to their Maryland roots and set–up home base in Silver Spring, Maryland. In just under a year, Hook & Ladder brews have gained a large presence in the Washington, DC metro area, and they have recently begun expanding into Baltimore.

 

 

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Coming Soon:

Entrepreneurship Workshop: No Substitute for Experience!

 

Serial entrepreneur, Joel Cohen, learned early on that there is no substitute for experience. In his four part workshop he will provide participants with real-time actual experience and commentary from those that “have been there.”  The class will address real problems and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs on a daily basis. The content of each class is flexible and will be determined prior to each class based on the responses of the participants to an on-line questionnaire. You determine what is covered!

 

In addition to real life experiences specific core business operating “best practices” will be covered. Some topics will include:

 

1.      No nonsense problem solving approach is just a matter of following the steps

2.      Employee Dissension – A deadly disease

3.      Cash is Always Available – If you believe!

4.      Businesses do not die, the owners kill ‘em

5.      Do all your employees know where you are going? – If they don't, you are not going there.

6.      Are your vendors and other constituents' partners or adversaries? – Partner is the correct answer but you must make it happen.

7.      Does your family feel like part of the team? – Easier for you if they do.

8.      Fail to Plan and Plan to Fail

9.      Hiring and Firing tips appreciated by most applicants employees.

 

Each participant will have the opportunity to learn from others and to present some of their problems and opportunities to the class. Interactive, moderated discussion will be the primary learning tool. There will also be extensive use of role-playing, so bring your “A” game!

 

This will be an 8 week course on Friday mornings for $750 beginning in Fall 2006. Please contact Andrea Galati if you are interested in registering.

 

Joel Cohen's Entrepreneurial Bio:  In his tenure Joel has started seven companies and has gone on to sell four and close one. In March of 2005 he co-founded Rides For Peace, Inc., a 501-(c)(3) public charity. Rides For Peace organizes high profile motorcycle rides worldwide to support the charities of Doctors Without Borders, Physicians Against Land Mines, and Landmine Survivors Network.

 

In 1988 he purchased a 50% interest in AutoThority, Inc., one of the largest Porsche service facilities in the country. In 2001 he bought out his partner. As part of this acquisition, he co-founded APE, a high performance automotive technology company. This company has grown at more than 50% per year and sells products in more than 40 countries and all 50 states. This business was sold in December of 2004.

 

In 1997 he co-founded and was Chairman of the Forum Resources Network, LLC.  FRN is a company dedicated to “harnessing the power of peer experience” and building teams. FRN is the exclusive supplier of Forum Moderator Training to the Young Entrepreneurs Organization and World Entrepreneurs Organization. His interest was sold in April, 2001.

In 1992, he co-founded World One Communications, Inc. Between 1986 and 1988 he served as the COO and Director of Sutton Place Gourmet, an internationally recognized retail chain of gourmet food.

 

He was one of the first to get into the microcomputer business with the opening of ENTRE Computer Centers in 1982. He also established one of the first microcomputer systems integration firms in 1982. These two entities grew to more than 50 employees and $5,000,000 in sales before they were both sold in 1986.

 

He, or his companies have appeared in Forbes magazine, the Washington Post, Washington Times, Investors Business Daily, Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Automobile, European Car, USA Today, ABC TV, CNN, and many trade publications.

 

Joel is a former University of Maryland graduate and serves as a volunteer Senior Mentor for MBA students at the Smith Business School.

 

 

 

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Fall 2006 Calendar

For the complete list of events go to the Events page of our website.

 

 

Dingman Process Workshop
This informative 75 - 90 minute workshop explains the Dingman Process, which consists of Ideation, Assessment, Implementation, and Iteration.  The most successful entrepreneurs are not necessarily those with the most innovative ideas, but those who can find gaps in the market and develop products to meet consumers' needs.  The Dingman Process helps entrepreneurs systematically analyze and develop businesses based on this concept.  This workshop is presented once each academic year, and this year it will be held at College Park as well as at each of our satellite campuses for our part-time MBA students. 

 

Dates: September 18^th – 22^nd

 

Women's Entrepreneur Event
This event is co-sponsored by the Smith Association of Women's MBAs.  The event will include a group of dynamic women who are successful entrepreneurs talking about their experiences and answering questions from the audience.  A networking reception with refreshments will be provided throughout the evening.

 

Thursday, September 28 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Exec Dining Room 2517 VMH

 

 

CIO Forum featuring Ted Leonis, Vice Chairman of America Online, Inc.

Established in 1999, the CIO Forum is a yearly meeting of top chief information officers, technology strategists, and academic researchers, in Mid-Atlantic states. Events are highly interactive and focus on the most important issues confronting technology strategists in the emerging digital economy, including e-commerce, the IT talent shortage, Internet strategy, multi-sourcing, next generation architectures, and other topics.

 

Date: Friday, November 3

 

 

Pitch Dingman Review
Students are invited to pitch their ideas to the Dingman Center every Friday between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Each student will have 5-10 minutes to give an overview of their business idea, which will later be reviewed and evaluated according to specific criteria by the Dingman Center staff. Periodic Pitch Dingman competitions will be held during the semester.  Business ideas found viable will find further support in the Dingman Center.
 

Every Friday - Starting September 22nd 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm

VMH 3570

 

 

Pitch Dingman Competition
Similar to the Pitch Dingman reviews.  Business ideas found viable will find further support in the Dingman Center.
 

Friday, September 29 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm	3570 VMH
Friday, October 27 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm	3570 VMH
Friday, December 8 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm	3570 VMH

 

 

Dingman Day Lunch
These catered luncheons are open to undergraduate and MBA students and members of the entrepreneurial community.  Successful entrepreneurs will talk about their experiences and answer questions from the audience. 

 

Friday, October 6 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.	Executive Dining Room	China Business Plan Competition Overview
Friday, October 27 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.	3rd Floor Atrium	Andy Farrar from HandsOn Toys
Friday, December 1 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.	3rd Floor Atrium	Allen Andersson, Serial Entrepreneur and founder of PaperBoy Ventures

 

 

CAN Breakfast (invitation only)
The CAN Breakfasts are by invitation only to angel investors who are qualified investors in the CAN network. Investors will have an opportunity to hear a 10 minute presentation from approximately four start-up entrepreneurs who are seeking funding for their business.  For more information on the CAN Program and to participate, contact Melissa Carrier.  The next CAN Breakfast will be held Wednesday, October 4th.

 

 

Tech Visionary Panel (invitation only)
See what's on the horizon in the world of technologies. These panel discussions will look at some of the cutting edge trends and innovations to come to market. Learn how these technologies are going to affect healthcare, entertainment, financial services, defense, media, and the entire range of human interaction.
 

 

Cupid's Cup

Cupid's Cup is a ten thousand dollar monetary award given to the best student start-up business.  The first annual Cupid's Cup was awarded by Kevin Plank, CEO and founder of Under Armour, to North Star Games, makers of Wits and Wager and Cluzzle, on May 19^th 2006 . The winners received a $10,000 cash prize to invest in their company and possession of Cupid's Cup for a one year period. Save the date for this exciting event!

 

Date: Friday, May 4

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