Category Archives: Events

Nov 10 2014
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Events

Dingman Center Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week 2014

GEW_Logo

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. For one week every November, organizations around the world participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week with events and programs that celebrate entrepreneurship. After a successful GEW 2013, the Dingman Center is back at it, November 17-21, for a week-long celebration of entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. Here’s what he have planned for this year.

Monday, November 17

Smith IS Global
All Day, Grand Atrium, Van Munching Hall

Nov. 17-21 is also International Education Week. Wear your “Ask Me About My Global Connections” sticker and share your study abroad experience, research, language, family story, etc. from around the world. Check the Smith kiosk for daily events or stop by Smith’s Office of Global Initiatives for a schedule.

Tuesday, November 18

Global Experience By Design
6-8:30 p.m., 6137 McKeldin Library

Where do entrepreneurial and innovative ideas come from?  Using Design Thinking is a great place to start!  Come to this hands-on workshop ready to work with a team on the pre-seeded design challenge Global Experience by Design in order to learn about design thinking. Leave ready to apply this process to a problem you are passionate about solving. This event is co-sponsored by the Academy for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurship Connector Club.

To participate, RSVP at globalbydesign.eventbrite.com 

Wednesday, November 19

Silk Road Rediscovered With Prof. Anil Gupta Silk Road Rediscovered - Anil Gupta - page 5
Noon-1 p.m., 2505 Van Munching Hall

Join the Smith School’s MBA Entrepreneurship Club and Professor Anil Gupta for an intimate conversation about his latest book, The Silk Road Rediscovered, the first book ever to provide a roadmap to understanding corporate linkages between China and India. Over lunch, Professor Gupta will discuss the growing challenges and opportunities to doing business in China and India. Attendees will also learn how leading innovative companies are pioneering the path between these emerging economic giants, followed by a Q&A.

RSVP at ter.ps/EClubNov19

Thursday, November 20

Terp Marketplace
3:30-5:30 p.m., Grand Atrium, Van Munching Hall

Shop the latest products and services from your fellow Terps while helping student entrepreneurs test the market.

Pitch Dingman Competition
6-7:30 p.m., Frank Auditorium, Van Munching Hall

Five student entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges for $3,500 in prizes. As the signature event of the week-long celebration, all attendees will receive a free gift sponsored by Route One Apparel
Register at ter.ps/Nov20

Pitch Dingman Competition Judges Panel:

  • John Gambaccini, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice
  • Ashish Gambhir, founder, newBrandAnalytics
  • David Quattrone, Chief Technology Officer, Cvent
  • Kathryn Stewart, Managing Director, Cranbrook Capital

Friday, November 21

Innovation Fridays: Pitch Dingman
11 a.m.-1 p.m., 2518 Van Munching Hall

Have an idea for a business? Entrepreneurs in Residence are available to hear and offer feedback on new business ideas. No appointment needed; just come ready to talk about your business idea and receive actionable next steps.

MBA Venture Capital Investment Competition: Final Round @Smith
1:30-5:00 p.m., Frank Auditorium, Van Munching Hall

Watch MBA teams negotiate term sheets with local startups in this annual mock venture capital competition. Negotiations will take place from 1:30- 4:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony and reception at 5:00 p.m. The winning team will represent UMD at the regional finals, to be held at Georgetown University on January 30, 2015.

For more about the competition, visit vcic.org.

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Nov 04 2014
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Community, Cupid's Cup, Events

Checking In with John Lewandowski, Cupid’s Cup 2014 Grand Prize Winner

cupidscup

On Nov. 1, the application opened for the 10th Annual Cupid’s Cup; the University of Maryland’s national business competition chaired by Kevin Plank ’96, founder and CEO of Under Armour. In thinking about the 10th anniversary of Cupid’s Cup, we’re taking a look back at past winners and semifinalists whose companies have made it “big” after participating in the nation’s toughest business competition. We’ll start with last year’s grand prize winner, John Lewandowski.

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RAM (Rapid Assessment of Malaria)

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John is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the founder and CEO of Disease Diagnostic Group (DDG), a medical device company specializing in the development of rapid, accurate, reusable, mechanical, and inexpensive disease diagnostic tests. DDG’s flagship product is RAM (Rapid Assessment of Malaria), a potable device that can detect an infection using, basically, a laser pointer and a refrigerator magnet.

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Cupid’s Cup 2014 Grand Prize Winner, John Lewandowski, with Kevin Plank, Founder & CEO of Under Armour

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Nov 03 2014
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Cupid's Cup, EnTERPreneurs, Events

10th Annual Cupid’s Cup Business Competition Now Open

cupidscup

Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Cupid’s Cup Business Competition, presented by Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank ’96 and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. In the 10th annual competition, the top student entrepreneurs from across the country and around the world can compete for $115,000 in total cash prizes.

The application deadline is Jan. 5, 2015. The final competition is set for Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

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Oct 28 2014
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Community, Events

Dingman Speaker Series: Wayne Kimmel

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Last week, the Dingman Center hosted another edition of our speaker series featuring Wayne Kimmel ’92 (@waynekimmel). Wayne is the founder and Managing Partner of SeventySix Capital, a seed and early stage venture capital fund that invests in consumer product and service businesses. He is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist and tireless networker and an avid sports fan. Some of SeventySix Capital’s most notable investments include Indiegogo, SeamlessWeb and Nutrisystem.

In an informal and intimate setting, Wayne offered advice on a range of topics, but focused primarily on the the importance of building a strong network and how to go about doing so. The room was filled with student entrepreneurs, both undergraduate and MBA, and even had guest appearances from Dingman Center Founder, Rudy Lamone and Smith School Dean, Alex Triantis. Here are some of the highlights from his talk:

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Oct 21 2014
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Events

Alumni Entrepreneurship Panel & Networking Event for Smith MBA Students

Interested in hearing from successful entrepreneurs and investors from the greater DC area? Smith School of Business MBA students are encouraged to join the Dingman Center and Office of Career Services for an Alumni Entrepreneurship Panel this Wednesday evening, October 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Don’t miss the opportunity to network with Smith alumni who have started and invested in successful business ventures.

The all-star panel will include:

  • Jim Blakeslee, President & Founder, Geocentric
  • Wayne Kimmel, Managing Partner, Seventy Six Capital
  • Dave Morgan, VP & Partner, STS International
  • Carol, Politi, Chief Executive Officer, TRX systems
  • Ben Solomon, CEO and Co-founder, Hyperion Technologies LLC

This event is not only for MBAs planning to start their own business but also for those who are interested in entrepreneurship or innovation.

The panel will be held in Van Munching Hall, room 1418, followed by a networking mixer.

To RSVP please email Jeffrey L. Stoltzfus.

                             

May 02 2014
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Events, Fearless Founders

Entrepreneurs Won Big at the Pitch Dingman Competition

Last night’s Pitch Dingman Competition brought together a wide range of entrepreneurs: students from the Fearless Founders program pitching ideas; a student entrepreneur who’s startup has already made it big; Smith Advisory Board members from both the entrepreneur and investor sides; and many students, faculty and staff interested in all things entrepreneurship.

Before the competition began, entrepreneurs gained valuable customer feedback at Terp Marketplace. They tested the market, sold their products and made impactful connections.

Terp Marketplace

Following Terp Marketplace, the competition began. Jonathan Chen shared his inspirational story of spending his last dollars to get to Slilicon Valley, staying in a Motel 6, never-ending networking, and eventually getting funded by Mark Cuban which began a $1.2 million seed round.

Jonathan Chen

Then, we heard from five very impressive finalists:

AnyWire, Ben Broch: AnyWire has produced an electrical outlet with an adhesive backing that can be stuck to any wall, allowing easy access for users.

AnyWire

Globoclub Fitness, Daniel Stern: Globoclub Fitness is developing a network of gyms across the country to provide affordable and convenient access to these gyms for travelers.
Globoclub

Locks of Curls, Fredrica Antwi: Locks of Curls is a monthly subscription box service of hair products for men and women with naturally curly hair.

LOC

MyDL, Maron Fasil: MyDL is a mobile app that will allow you to access your driver’s license anytime, anywhere, without having to ever bring your card.

MyDL

Red Coverage Solutions, Rohit Reddy: Red Coverage Solutions provides students, staff and faculty error-free access to their mobile network.

RedCoverage

The seven judges had a tough decision to make. While they deliberated, the audience was able to get in on the action and text-to-vote for their favorite finalist. Rohit Reddy, from Red Coverage Solutions was the crowd favorite and took home the $500 Audience Choice Award.

Audience Choice

Our partners at Capital One were also in attendance to announce the 10 Fearless Founders who would receive $500 grants to build their minimum viable products.

CapOne Grants

Congratulations to:

AnyWire, Ben Broch
Bethany’s Organics, Bethany Monaghan
Cribbit, Raja Ayyagari
EasyShare, Drew Weinberger
Globoclub Fitness, Dan Stern
Locks of Curls, Fredrica Antwi
MyDL, Maron Fasil
Saache, Wenjin and YiJie Tan
Stitch, LaShawn Gooden
Victory Cola, Alex Coffin

In the end, the judges chose Ben Broch from AnyWire as the competition winner, awarding him a $2,000 seed fund.

Winner

Feeling inspired by the entrepreneurs in the room, the Smith Advisory Board wanted to provide additional seed funds. The group awarded Red Coverage Solutions the Smith Advisory Board prize and an additional $800.

SmithBoardPrize

Thank you to the people from all ends of the Dingman Center community that contributed to the success of the Pitch Dingman Competition.

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Apr 30 2014
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Events

Meet the Pitch Dingman Competition Finalists

This Thursday, May 1, five finalists will compete at the Pitch Dingman Competition for a chance at $2,500 in seed funding. Register today and join us on May 1 to text-to-vote for your favorite finalists, and hear from FiscalNote Co-Founder, Jonathan Chen.

May 1, 2014 Pitch Dingman Competition Finalists

AnyWire, Ben Broch
College students complain about electrical outlets being in such poor room placements. Having to crawl under desks, tediously tip-toe over dangling cords, and suffering from incredibly archaic looking extension cords led Ben to create AnyWire. The product allows a person to stick an electrical outlet to any wall of your choice and whenever and wherever you would like.

Globoclub Fitness, Daniel Stern
A lack of access to fully equipped fitness centers exists for the 2 billion domestic travelers each year. Customer feedback shows that travelers are not satisfied with inadequate hotel gyms. Globoclub Fitness is developing a network of gyms across the country to provide affordable and convenient access to these gyms for travelers. A Globoclub Fitness membership allows short-term access to any gym in our network of high-end fitness centers during a business trip or vacation. 

Locks of Curls, Fredrica Antwi
Locks of Curls is a monthly subscription box service of hair products for men and women with naturally curly hair. Because of the mass amount of products available in the market and lack of knowledge surrounding them, many people are confused on what products are meant for their hair and which ones to try. Locks of Curls aims to create a fun, easy way to experiment with these products. 

MyDL, Maron Fasil
Physical documents are becoming a thing of the past as digitization dominates innovation. The goal is to support this trend by creating a digitized driver’s license—a mobile app that will allow you to access your driver’s license anytime, anywhere, without having to ever bring your card.

Red Coverage Solutions, Rohit Reddy
There is bad mobile connectivity within most buildings on the University of Maryland campus. This makes it difficult to make calls, exchange text messages, and this even affects emergency calls. Red Coverage Solutions will provide the students, staff and faculty an error-free access to their mobile network, providing seamless mobile connectivity, both indoors and outdoors. 

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Apr 29 2014
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Events

FiscalNote Co-Founder to Keynote Pitch Dingman Competition

For the last Pitch Dingman Competition of the 2013-2014 academic year, we’re bringing in a young and successful entrepreneur to inspire the audience. Jonathan Chen is a current Hinman CEO, UMD senior, and co-founder of a startup with 17 employees with over $1.2 million in funding. Join us in Van Munching Hall this Thursday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. to hear from Jonathan and watch five finalists compete for $2,500 in funding. Register now.

Photoshop building out

Jonathan Chen grew up in North Potomac, Maryland where he attended Thomas S. Wootton High School in Montgomery County. His passion for technology began at a young age, so enrolled in four years of computer science classes at Wootton.

Going into the University of Maryland, Jonathan decided to major in computer science. He spent his free time building cool applications and websites that he tried to turn into companies. Unfortunately, none of his ideas panned out. Not knowing too much about entrepreneurship, Jonathan applied and was admitted into the Hinman CEOs entrepreneurship program hoping he could learn more about starting a business. During his first year in the program, Jonathan, along with two high school friends, came up with an idea to aggregate and analyze government legislation with the ability to predict the passage of a bill across all 50 states. They called it FiscalNote. Jonathan entered the idea into the Department of Computer Science’s F.I.S.H. Bowl entrepreneurship competition and placed 2nd. The competition helped validate their idea and push Jonathan and his co-founders to apply to the Plug and Play Startup Camp accelerator in Silicon Valley. They were accepted into the startup camp and spent the summer of 2013 building FiscalNote from the bottom up.

At the start of the summer 2013, Jonathan took advantage of his membership in the Hinman CEOs program and applied for the Citrin Impact Seed Fund from Mtech, receiving $5,000 in funding. Ten weeks later, the FiscalNote team’s hard work and dedication paid off because at the end of August, they were able to raise $1.2 million in seed funding from Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang’s AME Cloud Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, and First Round Capital’s Dorm Room Fund. At the end of the accelerator program, Jonathan and his team moved their company to Washington D.C. because that is where all three co-founders are originally from and the majority of their clients reside in the nation’s capitol. Using the seed funds, Jonathan has grown FiscalNote to 17 full-time employees, with their office located in the heart of Washington D.C. and their product selling on the market.

Jonathan serves as the Chief Technology Officer at FiscalNote managing eight brilliant engineers. He is currently a senior, graduating in May. Along with Jonathan’s passion for technology, Jonathan has grown to enjoy sharing his entrepreneurial story in order to inspire those with their own ideas to fearlessly pursue them.

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Mar 25 2014
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Events

Introducing the 2014 Cupid’s Cup Finalists

Cupid’s Cup is only 10 days away! Six of the nation’s top student entrepreneurs will pitch Kevin Plank and a panel of celebrity entrepreneur judges for a chance at $115K in total prizes. More than 1,000 people will be in the audience on April 4 and attendees will be able to text-to-vote for their favorite student startup. Don’t miss it! Get a free ticket at http://www.cupidscup.com/.

Here are your 2014 Cupid’s Cup Finalists.
Screen Shot 2014-03-25 at 1.38.19 PMFounder: Jason Gates
San Francisco, CA

 

IMAG4379Compology places sensors on dumpsters to track dumpster volume and reroute waste pickup to skip empty dumpsters. Compology improves hauler margins by 50% by reducing fuel costs and vehicle maintenance from inefficient routing and increasing crew utilization. The team believes “smart trash” can significantly reduce costs in the $68B waste industry. Jason is a 2011 graduate of the University of Maryland.

 

 

 

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Founder: John Lewandowski
Boston, MA

IMAG4396Disease Diagnostic Group (DDG) has produced a rapid, accurate and inexpensive handheld device that can diagnose Malaria within one minute with one drop of blood, similar to a diabetes test. Existing alternatives include blood drops that must be tested in a lab and have slower turnaround and pregnancy-test like strips that are unreliable due to unstable storage conditions. John is a graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Founder: James Li
Origin: Roslyn-Arlington, VA

 

IMAG4392Encore Alert monitors social media for mid-market brands and identifies the most important influencers and trending conversations. Brands are struggling to react to the large volume of social media data and rarely take action. Encore Alert automatically sends simple alerts to notify a brand of a high priority conversation (influential post, trending topic, PR risk) and provides recommendations to take action (retweet, write blog post, or respond). James is a 2013 graduate of Georgetown University.

 

 

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Founder: Susan Thompson
Origin: Canton, MA

IMAG4390Kohana is developing a quiet, compact and discrete breast pump. Current breast pumps use loud, vacuum technology that force women to pump in isolation, often making it impossible for working mothers to keep up with demands of pumping and work. Kohana’s wearable compression technology simulates hand-expression instead of high-powered suction, allowing women to pump anytime and anywhere. Susan is a 2013 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University.

Screen Shot 2014-03-25 at 1.38.42 PMFounder: Derrius Quarles
Origin: Louisville, KY

 

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Million Dollar Scholar (MDS) is a web-based platform that provides curriculum and consulting/coaching services to students, parents and guidance counselors to help identify and win college scholarships. College students graduate with an average of more than $25K in debt. There is also a shortage of high school counselors, with the average counselor serving 450 students. MDS provides tools beyond other scholarship matching sites, such as essay editing, resume creation and interview assistance. Derrius is a 2013 graduate of Morehouse College.

 

 

 

LogoTransparentFounder: Chase Kaczmarek
Origin: College Park, MD

IMAG4377Wheel Shields are a longboarding accessory that improve safety, block mud and enable skaters to perform more advanced tricks.These metal hubcaps create a physical barrier between the wheel and the board, preventing the accidental braking that often throws skaters from their boards. Chase is a current undergraduate student at the University of Maryland.

 

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Nov 07 2013
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Events

Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week With the Dingman Center

During the week of November 18–22, the Dingman Center will participate as a partner in Global Entrepreneurship Week – the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. The week will be full of exciting events with participants from across our community. Take a look at what we’ve got planned and become part of something truly remarkable.

Monday, November 18
Fast Pitch at TEDCO Entrepreneur Expo
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., BWI Marriott
At this session during TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo, companies will test how well they can communicate their business in a three-minute fast pitch to a panel of Dingman Center Angel Investors.

Extreme by Design Movie Screening
5:30–7 p.m., Frank Auditorium, Van Munching Hall
Watch this documentary following three Stanford University students as they design and build products to meet the basic needs of the world’s poor. The Center for Social Value Creation, the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and the Office of Global Initiatives will host a discussion following the film. Register to attend at ter.ps/screening

Tuesday, November 19
Networking Panel at Bioscience Research & Technology Review Day
11-12 p.m., Jimenez Room, Stamp Student Union
Managing Director of the Dingman Center, Elana Fine, will facilitate a networking panel during Bioscience Research & Technology Review Day presented by the University of Maryland’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. The event aims to join executives and professionals with scientists to promote the potential for academic-industry-government collaboration. Read more about Bioscience Day.

Entrepreneurship Connector
5:30–7 p.m., 2511 Van Munching Hall
Hosted by the Dingman Center and Mtech, students will network with others interested in all things innovation and entrepreneurship. Learn about opportunities across campus, exchange ideas and meet your next co-founder. Attendees will also discuss ideas for a new campus-wide entrepreneurship club that is in development. Dinner will provided. If you’re on Facebook, let us know you’re coming.

Wednesday, November 20
Terp Marketplace
11 a.m.–2 p.m., Grand Atrium, Van Munching Hall
Student entrepreneurs will test the market by selling their products and services to potential customers. Join us for an afternoon of fun and shopping in Van Munching Hall.

EIR Advising Sessions
5:30–8 p.m., Smith School DC Campus, Ronald Reagan Building
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Harry Geller, will be available by appointment to provide feedback and next steps for your business idea. These sessions are great for any part-time MBA students that can’t get to Van Munching Hall for Innovation Fridays. If you are interested, sign up for an appointment.

Thursday, November 21
Pitch Dingman Competition
6:30–8:30 p.m., Tyser Auditorium, Van Munching Hall
The signature event of Global Entrepreneurship Week will be the biggest Pitch Dingman Competition to date! Five student entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas to an all-star panel of judges led by CEO of WeddingWire and keynote speaker Tim Chi. Check out the five finalists here. Attendees will have chance to vote for their favorite company to award them the $500 Audience Choice prize! Arrive early to receive a t-shirt, snack pack and other giveaways. Register to attend at ter.ps/Nov21

Friday, November 22
Dingman Center Angels Review Day
10 a.m.–1 p.m., 1518 Van Munching Hall
Hear presentations by local startups seeking funding from angel investors. Learn the lingo, hear comments regarding startup strategy, learn about entrepreneurial financing options, and get presentation tips from the investor feedback. RSVP to attend HERE.

Innovation Fridays
11 a.m.–1 p.m., 2518 Van Munching Hall
Meet with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for an informal session to receive valuable feedback on your business idea. No suits or business plans required. All you need is an idea.

Friday, November 22 – Sunday, November 24
College Park Sustainability Jam
2333 Van Munching Hall
Join the Center for Social Value Creation for  the 2nd annual College Park Sustainability Jam (CPSJ) – a weekend long engagement aimed at creating new, real-world ideas to promote and advance sustainability. The purpose of the Jam is to learn about design thinking, build new ideas, explore our understanding of sustainability, meet cool people, work hard, and HAVE FUN! The end result is a set of “workable prototypes” that will be uploaded to an international shared database. Activities will run roughly 5-8 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m-6 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m-3 p.m. on Sunday. Register at http://ter.ps/3yp  

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