UM School of Business Selects Finalists in $36,000 Entrepreneurship Competition
Coral Gables, Fla. - April 13, 2009 – The University of Miami School of Business Administration has named 18 finalists in its 7th annual Entrepreneurship Competition. The finalists will go on to the final round of the contest April 16, 2009, competing for $36,000 in prize money. Individuals and teams of students from across the university were invited to first submit a concept synopsis, outlining a novel idea for a product, service, or business in one of two categories – High-Potential Ventures and Small Business. From those 74 entries, 29 were selected as semifinalists and invited to submit detailed business plans as part of the second stage of the contest. From those, 18 finalists were selected to participate in the final round where they will present their ideas to a panel of judges including local business executives, entrepreneurs and venture investors from across the country. Their ventures range from a business focused on the production and shipment of sustainably cultured juvenile yellowfin tuna to a manufacturer of street legal electric vehicles adapted from the golf cart.
The 12 students representing 11 companies in the High-Potential Ventures category are:
- John Stieglitz, Blue Ocean AquacultureBrian Rechtman, BlueTree Marketing Corp.
- Renata Sobral, BookMed
- Jorge Hazoury, CORTEX
- Erik Abrams, Frentship.com
- Matthew Chevallard, Italcar E.V.
- Rebecca Ariel Fox, Masala Fast & Fresh Indian Cuisine
- Ricardo Veneziano de Oliveira, Original
- Dannon Nemeth, Pangaea
- Tyler Gales, Pocket Polls
- Matt Heckert and Stew Berkeley, Surveyosaurus
The seven finalist students and companies in the Small Business category are:
- Eric Knittel, Grill-N-Chill
- Will Evans, Big Mahi
- Isabel Coronado, EZ Care Delivery LLC
- Brent Martin, Elemental Stereo
- Ryan Woodlee, Magic Detailings
- David Reznick, Service Training Solutions
- Dane Osborn, RefurMadness
The annual UM School of Business Entrepreneurship Competition is open to all University of Miami students. This year’s finalists include 12 undergraduate and four graduate students from the School of Business Administration, one undergraduate from the School of Communication, one graduate student from the School of Law, and one graduate student from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. The winners will be announced one day after the final round, at an awards luncheon on April 17, 2009. More information about the competition can be found at www.bus.miami.edu/events/entrep-competition1/index.html.
Past winners in the Entrepreneurship Competition have gone on to build their ventures into successful businesses. They include such companies as College Hunks Hauling Junk, BoatHistoryReport.com and We Wash.
About the School of Business Administration
The University of Miami School of Business is a leading business school, offering undergraduate business, full-time MBA, Executive MBA, MS, PhD and non-degree executive education programs. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Miami, the School is located in a major hub of international trade and commerce and acclaimed for the global orientation and diversity of its faculty, students and curriculum. The School delivers its programs at its main campus in Coral Gables as well as at locations across Florida and abroad. More information about the University of Miami School of Business can be found at www.bus.miami.edu.
Media Contact:
Jeff Heebner
jheebner@miami.edu
305-284-4005
