MBA alum and former Dingman Scholar Matt Fleischer put passion into promise to create a successful beer company Zoey Rawlins, founder of Shop DC and former Dingman Scholar, launched her business by following trends in the marketplace Run by students, The Smith Store offers promotional branded apparel, accessories and gifts The Dingman Center supports entrepreneurs throughout the Washington D.C. Metro Area and beyond The Dingman Center is located at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland

How it Works

Overview  ♦  How it Works  ♦  Mentor Bios  ♦  Costs and Procedures

How it Works

Every Tuesday by appointment, mentors are available to meet with companies. During a one-hour session with your mentor you will address your company's issues—whether financial, marketing, operational, organizational or strategic—and develop the necessary steps to find solutions and improve your business. Ongoing mentor relationships are at the discretion of the entrepreneur, mentor, and Dingman Center management team.

Meetings with mentors are by appointment. View mentor bios now.

How to Begin

  • Assessment. Consider the following questions to determine your needs and objectives for seeking support from the Mentor Program:
    • Do you have a working business plan?
    • Are you looking for a mentor to help define goals?
    • Are you looking for expertise in your business areas?
    • Are you looking to grow your established company?
    • Are you looking to address market research opportunities?
    • Do you have a management team in place?
    • Are you looking for opportunities to attract investors for your business idea?
  • Application and Selection. Selection is based on entrepreneur's needs, current issue, type or industry of the company, and Mentors' profiles, to ensure optimal match and best use of available resources.
  • Initial Consultation. Entrepreneurs define their specific business issue in an initial one-hour Tuesday morning session. The mentor will be provided with a description of the issues and/or the executive summary of the business plan beforehand, so the meeting will be entirely focused on addressing the entrepreneur's problem. Immediate feedback is provided as well as recommendations on further actions. A written summary of the discussion is sent to the entrepreneur at the conclusion of the session.
  •  Mentoring and Consulting. On occasion, the Dingman Center will invite the entrepreneur to continue mentoring relations with their mentor. The mentor(s) may require the entrepreneur to take specific actions and present results at next mentoring meeting.

As a participant in the program, entrepreneurs will also receive:

  1. A dedicated point of contact at the Dingman Center who will provide personalized help during the entire process.
  2. Access to the well-equipped Dingman Center conference room (by appointment only).

"Our experiences with the Dingman Center have been an invaluable asset in helping us get off the ground. As with any business, there are many questions that must be answered. The Dingman Center's Mentor Program has provided us with access to other entrepreneurs with the experience and insight to help us answer these key questions."

- Steve Wood, Kooz Beverage Co.

 

Please see our Costs and Procedures,

or apply today for a better business.