Every two weeks, the Dingman Center distributes The Pitch, which highlights important happenings in our community. In case you missed it, here’s a look at what’s up in entrepreneurship:
Big Idea CONNECTpreneur FORUM is Back!
On December 4th, the Big Idea CONNECTpreneur Forum is back and promises to be better than ever. The quarterly event, which will be held at the Tysons Corner Marriott from 7-11a.m., brings together over 300 of the top founders, angel investors, CXOs, VCs and business leaders from the mid-Atlantic region. This unique event features a morning of awesome networking, newsmaking speakers and a showcase of exciting companies, including Dingman portfolio company, Naaya.
Register by December 1st to receive a special Thanksgiving discount rate.
Interested in improving the lives of millions of migraine sufferers?
Smith is looking for a team of 4 Smith students to work with serial entrepreneur Dr. Fischell and his team on a national roll-out of his latest venture, the Migraine Clinics of America.
Hear from Dr. Fischell at an info session on December 2nd from 12-12:50 pm in VMH 2511 to learn more about how you can join this rare opportunity to work with a legendary inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Dr. Robert Fischell is founder of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering and Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. An inventor with over 200 patents, Dr. Fischell is best known as the founder of modern medical stents, lifetime pacemaker batteries and implantable insulin pumps. Dr. Fischell’s latest venture is the Migraine Clinics of America, a startup that will leverage a FDA approved device (that he invented) to eliminate pain for millions of migraine sufferers.
To attend the info session, please RSVP to dingman@rhsmith.umd.edu.
Amazing Race meets Shark Tank. Apply today for AdVENTURE Challenge: China
The Dingman Center is recruiting FTMBA, PTMBA and MS students for the annual AdVENTURE Challenge: China course. During the program, students will travel from Shanghai to Beijing and compete for $15K in a global business model competition.
Along the way, students visit Chinese startups, multinational corporations, venture capital firms and cultural sites like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The challenge will culminate with the 9th Annual China Business Model Competition at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management. Students compete for cash prizes alongside peers from Smith, Guanghua and other Chinese business schools, and Technion-Israel Institute of
Interested? Email Holly DeArmond at dearmond@rhsmith.umd.edu.
Equip. Connect. Celebrate. The Dingman Center’s 2014-2015 Annual Report is out!
It’s been an impactful year for the Dingman Center. Read all about the Center’s activities from the last academic year in its 2013-2014 Annual Report.
Here are some interesting stats from the report:
- The Dingman Center Angels invested $1.5M in over 15 companies this year. For the first time, follow-on investments exceeded new ones, a sign that portfolio companies are seeing rapid growth.
- A cross-cultural team that included two Smith MBAs took home first place in the Annual China Business Plan Competition at Peking University in Beijing, for its startup idea Wireless ISP, a telecommunications business to better bring internet access to rural China.
- Over 200 student entrepreneurs pitched business ideas to seasoned entrepreneurs and spent over 270 hours in 1:1 advising sessions.
- Students from 62 universities applied to pitch at the final round of Cupid’s Cup, where over 1000 attendees attended to watch the 6 finalists.
These are just a few examples of the impact the Dingman Center is making on our Terp community. Be sure to read the report for more on the Center’s award-winning research and innovative courses.