Welcome Back Students!

Venture Capitalists, set aside September 28 for the Women's Entrepreneurship Event and mark your calendars for the Greater Baltimore Technology Council's TechNite in October. Save the date for our next Capital Access Network Breakfast, October 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Entrepreneurs, mark your calendars for September 28 for the Women's Entrepreneurship Event!  The Dingman Center is proud to announce the launch of its revised Mentor Program. Dingman Center staff and experienced mentors are available every Tuesday from 8 - 11 AM to provide support and resources to help your company make the leap forward in its business. Appointment required.

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Feature Event: Women's Entrepreneurship Event

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 company wide plan for implementing new ideas and programs effectively, 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.

This event is co-sponsored by the Smith Association of Women MBAs.

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: 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
The Secret to 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 process of financial management for business growth and believes in 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 from the beginning. Penny will talk about what all entrepreneurs should consider as the sun rises on their businesses.

 

Julie Lenzer Kirk

Julie Lenzer Kirk harnesses her experience as a successful and award-winning IT entrepreneur to assist others in realizing their dream of entrepreneurship and taking their already-established entrepreneurial companies to the next level.

Her upcoming book, “Secrets of a Mompreneur: What Raising Children Teaches You About Running a Successful Business” (John Wiley & Sons) due out Fall 2007, provides actionable tips for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and managers. Even if you're not a parent, you've been a child, which makes the lessons learned through analogies between parenthood and business easy to relate to and implement.

Ms. Kirk is President of Path Forward, International, which blazes forward paths in entrepreneurship through workshops, training, and consulting. She is a sought-after speaker on topics of entrepreneurship, business management and leadership, and balancing work and family.

She received the Athena Award in 2004 as recognition for her contributions to other business women and the community and was named to Maryland's Top 100 Women, 2005, sponsored by The Daily Record. She is also the Lead Instructor for UMBC's ACTiVATE program, an ex-officio member of the Board of the Center for Women in Information Technology at UMBC and a business advisor for Women Entrepreneurs, Inc.

Amy R. Nichols
President and CEO
Happy Tails Dog Spa™, LLC
Happy To Be Here, Inc.

An avid dog lover and hard-working businesswoman, Amy capitalized on the opportunity to work within the evolving pet care industry. After researching industry trends and carefully planning the venture, Amy founded the first Happy Tails Dog Spa™, a full-service dog day care, spa and boutique, in 2002. Under Amy's leadership, vision, and drive to expand, the company has since experienced overwhelming success and growth. Her business grossed over one million dollars in 2004, and continues to grow at a rapid rate.  In 2005, Amy franchised Happy Tails Dog Spa™ nationally, making it possible for entrepreneurs who enjoy dogs to launch the business in their own communities.  To date, there are six franchisees with expectations of over 100 by 2008.

Gina Schaefer

Gina Schaefer is the owner of three Ace Hardware stores in Washington, DC. As a member of the Ace Hardware Cooperative, Ms. Schaefer has access to a large buying entity which enables small, independent hardware stores to thrive in the era of big boxes.

While working for several technology companies in Northern Virginia and Bethesda, Ms. Schaefer utilized her opportunities to learn the skills necessary to fulfill her desire of opening her own business.  These included seminars, classes and on-the-job training. Sensing a retail void in the District, Ms. Schaefer responded to the tremendous need for building and home improvement supplies by opening up her community based stores.

Her first location, Logan Hardware, opened for business on March 1, 2003 and her second location, Glover Park Hardware opened in March of 2005.  The most recent addition to the chain is Tenleytown Ace Hardware which opened in June of 2006.  She is currently planning her fourth and fifth locations. 

In addition to her retail life she also serves on the board of the National Women's Business Center and is working with friends to raise $145,000 to fund a Habitat for Humanity house in NE Washington.

Penny Pompei

Penny Pompei is the President and CEO of the National Women's Business Center, a non-profit educational organization headquartered in mid-town Washington, DC.  A serial entrepreneur herself, Ms. Pompei has founded three different companies: a nationwide architecture/construction firm, a  travel agency and a boutique winery.  With a background in, and thorough understanding of business management best practices, she believes it is important to follow your passion when deciding which business to open and hire the best and brightest in the marketplace with the skills necessary to carry out the work of the organization.  Believing that a successful entrepreneur is a first a successful business manager, an entrepreneur must learn how to work on their business, not in their business.

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Event Summaries

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College Park, Md. – August 18, 2006 – The undergraduate program at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business is ranked among the best in the nation – with the school ranked as No. 18 in the United States according to the latest U.S. News & World Report college ranking report released on August 18, 2006. The Smith School also scored highly in a number of business specialty categories – with its management information systems, supply chain management and entrepreneurship programs listed among the nation's top 10 and with a total of five areas listed among the nation's top 15.

“We're pleased to see the Smith School's undergraduate program among the nation's best,” said Howard Frank, dean of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. “It is especially noteworthy to see the school recognized in virtually all of its key areas including marketing, finance, management, information technology, supply chain management, entrepreneurship and international business.”

The Smith School's specialty rankings include:

• No. 6 – Management Information Systems
• No. 6 – Supply Chain Management/Logistics
• No. 10 – Entrepreneurship
• No. 13 – Quantitative Analysis
• No. 14 – Management
• No. 16 – Production/Operations Management
• No. 17 – Finance
• No. 18 – Marketing
• No. 22 – International Business

The complete rankings can be found at the U.S. News Web site.

For more information please contact:
Angela Toda
301.405.8062

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Dingman Center bids farewell to one of its finest:

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The Dingman Center Welcomes 4 New Board Members!

The Dingman Center welcomes four new additions to its Advisory Board: Hammond Han, Joseph Mischler, Ted Muendel, and Brian Taff. We are also happy to announce John Lapides, CEO of Snow Valley Inc. and current Entrepreneur-in-Residence, as the new Chairman of the Board. Jeff Grinspoon of Morgan Stanley will be accompanying John as Vice Chairman of the Board of Advisors.

Meet our newest members:

Mr. Hammond Han is a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Corporate Client Group Director with The Han Group.  Prior to joining Citigroup Smith Barney in 2002, Hammond was a First Vice President and Assessment Center Approved Professional Manager in the New York Headquarters office of Merrill Lynch.  In addition, Hammond was a Managing Director with Chase Manhattan in New York and a Vice President with Bank of America and Chevy Chase Bank in Washington, DC.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Information Science from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance & Investments from The George Washington University.  Hammond is registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers as a General and Municipal Securities Principal, Registered Options Principal and a Registered Investment Advisor.  He is actively involved with many community and academic organizations including The Foundation Schools where he is a Board Director and Chairman of the Development Board and The George Washington University School of Business where he is a member of the Board of Advisors.  Hammond and his wife, Suzanne, and son, Justin, reside in Bethesda, MD.

Mr. Joseph M. Mischler brings more than 20 years of diversified industry experience as a senior business development and general management executive having worked in both Fortune 500 and small company entrepreneurial environments. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Joe graduated from Belmont Abbey College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Distribution Management.  He currently serves as a Division Vice President with Automatic Data Processing, Inc., a global Fortune 500 Company that handles employer-related functions requiring extensive processing, record keeping, technology and up-to-date best practices. Joe is also an equity partner in Champions Field House, LLC.

Mr. Brian S. Taff was a founding member of BuyDomains.com in 1999, in which he was instrumental in positioning and selling in 2005 to two Boston-based venture firms, now renamed NameMedia, Inc., where he presently serves in the capacity of chief strategy officer and vice president of corporate development.  Mr. Taff's prior professional experience includes serving as acting president of Chicken-Out, Inc., a 26-store fast-casual restaurant chain operating as Chicken Out Rotisserie, where he previously served in the capacity of general council and director of development; associate attorney with the law firm of Silver, Freedman & Taff, L.L.P., where he represented businesses and individuals in the areas of corporate, tax and franchising laws as well as strategic planning; founding partner and chief financial officer of Espresso Outfitters, Inc., a start-up foodservice distribution company based in Crofton, Maryland; and associate counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Services, National Office in Washington, DC, in the Financial Institutions and Products division.  Mr. Taff is also a founding board member of Grassroots.org, a 501(c)(3) organization where he currently serves as an active member of the board of directors. Mr. Taff received his Masters of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from George Washington University, and his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the University of Maryland 1989.

Mr. Ted Muendel has been a leader in the development of the Stanton Chase organization. Altogether, he has been engaged in the executive search profession for some 25 years and has experience in building management teams for clients ranging from early stage pre-IPO start-ups to large multi-nationals. Ted's relevant career evolved at Allegheny Ludlum International in various management roles and at a leading general management consulting firm, Theodore Barry and Associates in Los Angeles where he served clients and conducted a wide range of marketing, business planning and operational assignments. Ted later served as Vice President/General Manager of a consumer products company in California. He earned his BA degree from Lehigh University and an MS with honors from Northern Illinois University. He has served as a Trustee of Lehigh for the past nine years and has been recognized by his university for achievements in global leadership. Ted currently serves on several organizations' Boards.

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London, Ink adds some marketing flair to the Dingman Center:

University of Maryland alum, Bob London, gives back to the Smith School

University of Maryland grad and Smith School alum, Bob London of London, Ink LLC, wanted to contribute more to the University than his Terrapin basketball and football tickets.  So he decided to give back something money can't buy: experience.  Bob is providing his wealth of marketing and communications expertise, as well as the creative resources of his company, London, Ink LLC, to the Dingman Center's 2007 Cupid's Cup Business Competition.

Bob is a marketing and communications executive with over 20 years experience with global companies like MCI (well before the Worldcom takeover!), VeriSign and Maryland-based IPO success story Digex.  In 1995 he founded London, Ink LLC and pioneered the “Virtual VP of Marketing” concept which helps growth-stage companies that need senior marketing expertise and strategic leadership but can't justify the expense and commitment of a full-time marketing VP.  As demand for London, Ink's services grew, the company expanded into planning and developing marketing and creative programs including online marketing, search engine optimization, Web design and development as well as traditional tactics such as direct mail, print and broadcast advertising and public relations.

“We're thrilled to have someone of Bob's caliber working with us on the 2007 Cupid's Cup Business Competition,” says Asher Epstein, Managing Director of the Smith School's Dingman center for Entrepreneurship.  “With his help we hope to expand on the success of last year's competition by increasing the number of entrepreneurs who participate as well as the number of attendees at the event itself on May 4, 2007.”

Working with companies including MCI, Digex, Hearst Magazines, Ketchum Public Relations, Verizon, McKinley Marketing Partners and Media/Professional Insurance (whose CEO is another Maryland grad!), Bob has managed marketing budgets ranging from a whopping $150 million down to—literally—zero.

“The smaller the marketing budget, the more an organization is forced to use creativity and resourcefulness in getting the word out,” says Bob London.  “The idea behind tactics like so-called guerilla marketing is to launch a campaign so in tune with the target audience that it becomes a topic of conversation, thus generating a disproportionately high level of awareness and response.”

It is this area of low-cost, high return guerilla marketing that Bob found most applicable to promoting the Dingman Center's annual Cupid's Cup Business Competition. 

Working with the Dingman team, Mr. London helped devise a marketing strategy and plan that includes low-cost initiatives such as MySpace and Facebook--which are not only popular among the target audience but don't require costly Web development resources; having entrepreneurs keep blogs about their preparations for the event; adding media publicity; and targeting chat rooms and listservs popular among young entrepreneurs and alumni.

Dingman marketing manager Andrea Galati says it's been a great fit so far.  “Just getting an injection of fresh ideas and a new perspective has been very helpful,” she says.  “We're excited to hit the ground running on the 2007 Cupid's Cup, and I'm sure the results will be great!”

To learn more about London, Ink LLC, please visit www.londonink.com.

For more information about Cupid's Cup 2007, please visit the Cupid's Cup webpage, or contact Andrea Galati at agalati@rhsmith.umd.edu or 301 405 9511.

P.S.  In his spare time Bob also writes a business humor column for ExecutiveBiz, a digital magazine reaching 50,000 executives in the DC metro area, and part of the region's fastest growing executive networking group, also called ExecutiveBiz.  You can read some of his past columns at http://www.executivebiz.com/email/email-060810.php#art2 and http://www.executivebiz.com/email/email-060824.php#art2.  (Free registration required.)
 

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GBTC's TechNite - Six Degrees

The Greater Baltimore Technology Council invites you to join them as they examine the Power of Six Degrees and how it's driving business in the region and beyond. Discover how companies you know got to where they are today, and who helped them along the way. Through their experiences, you'll see how our region's network reaches around the world.
 

GBTC's TechNite - Six Degrees
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Register at: http://www.gbtechcouncil.org/technite2006
Reception & Networking - 5:15 p.m.
Dinner - 6:30 p.m.
Lounge & Cash Bar - 8:45 p.m.

Dress - Whatever you care to wear!

* When registering enter Dingman in the Promotion Code box and click OK in order to receive your Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship discount!
 

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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. 

Contact Melissa Carrier for more details.

Dates: September 18 – 22

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.

Please click here to register.

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.
 

Pitch Dingman Competition
Similar to the Pitch Dingman reviews, bring your best presentation forward and win $500!! Business ideas found viable will find further support in the Dingman Center. Pre-registration is required, please contact Melissa Carrier.
 

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. 

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 4.

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 receive 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!

To enter this competition or for more information on this event please see the Cupid's Cup webpage or contact Andrea Galati.

Date: Friday, May 4

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