Portfolio Companies

Portfolio Companies have a close partnership and lasting relationship with the Dingman Center. Portfolio Companies are selected on the basis of their long term viability and management team's objectives. Many portfolio companies were started by Past Dingman Scholars and others with close ties with the center. Portfolio Companies have the opportunity to be mentored and advised by our expert Entrepreneurs in Residence and the opportunity to gain a small amount of capital from the center.

BABY FANS

Baby Fans is a one-stop online shop for officially licensed baby sports clothing, accessories and toys. Are you a big NFL fan raising a little NFL fan? Then, be sure to check out the inventory of NFL baby merchandise, including Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers infant clothing. Love major league baseball? With the MLB baby merchandise, share that love of the Yankees or Red Sox with your little shortstop. College sports fans adore the company's selection, including UNC Tar Heels, University of Georgia and Clemson baby clothes - to name a few. To find out if they carry baby clothing featuring your favorite team's colors, just explore the site.

EXPONENTIAL STORAGE

Changing the Game in Data Storage: Exponential Storage is an early stage company developing simple and affordable data storage systems for dependable, secure, “always on” access to large and growing volumes of mission critical data. We take advantage of the economic and performance advantages of the latest generation of off-the-shelf hardware and software. This approach dramatically lowers the cost of “enterprise class” data storage while providing exceptional capabilities.

Our initial storage system is optimized for critical digital content such as audio or video files, engineering documents, digital images, and medical records. Among other capabilities, this system supports guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for large-scale video streaming. For information contact: Wick Keating, CEO, at wkeating@exponentialstorage.com.

GEOCENTRIC

Geocentric is a specialty software and services company dedicated to improving internet mapping and local search by enabling Destination Marketing Organizations, such as business improvement districts and tourism destinations, to self-manage and self-publish high-quality interactive maps and location driven content within their existing websites.

Geocentric's award-winning technology is currently showcased on Downtown Bethesda, an interactive guide to Bethesda dining and shopping.

"The Dingman Center's support and advice has been extremely helpful," says Geocentric Founder Jim Blakeslee, who completed his MBA at the Robert H. Smith School of Business in 2006.

Geocentric was recently profiled by Gazette.Net, with a particular emphasis placed on the recent earning of the 2005 MAPublisher Map Award in the Multimedia Map category for the Downtown Bethesda Interactive Guide. The MAPublisher awards, which recognize excellence in cartography and map making, are awarded by Avenza Systems Inc.

GLOBALPAWN.com

The pawnshop can accept, reject or counter online offers, and receive subsequent counter offers allowing for true on-line negotiation right in the software the pawnshop currently uses. There are no listing fees, only a 4.5% fee is charged to the pawnshop for any sale made online. Segments of the business model are covered by a pending patent in the U.S. and Europe.

GOOZEX

Goozex, Inc. is an award winning peer-to-multi-peer video game trading company headquartered in College Park, Maryland. The company has designed and developed an innovative online system that connects members to build a community across North America, and allows them to trade games with each other. Goozex is managed by a team that is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the system, meeting growing customer demands, and maintaining its lead in the online used video game trading market.

Goozex operates on a point-based system that allows its users to retain the real market value of their used video games when trading for other games. Members agree to mail their original game discs in exchange for points and then use those points to request other games. Goozex charges a $1.00 transaction fee for each trade, and guarantees every exchange made with a full refund policy. The Goozex library is comprised of individual user home libraries, and has over 12,000 units. Goozex offers more games than any given retail store and most online venues without holding inventory.

Goozex launched in July 2006 and is receiving extremely positive customer reviews. The company has already been featured in numerous press articles including The Washington Post, PCGamer, Games Radar, Stars and Stripes, and other publications. The user base continues to grow at an extremely rapid rate that is keeping pace with comparable companies. For more information please visit www.goozex.com.

HOOK AND LADDER BREWING COMPANY

Hook & Ladder Brewing Company is an award winning microbrewery (Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, 2001) founded by a firefighter from Bethesda, MD. Hook & Ladder produces two beers for your enjoyment: Grassfire Wheat, an American style wheat beer with a zesty wheat malt flavor that is crisp and refreshing and Backdraft Brown, a medium bodied brown ale with a pronounced roasted flavor and light hop finish. CEO and President Matt Fleischer, is a former Dingman Scholar and earned his MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Hook & Ladder aims to provide a variety of quality brews with an experience of adventure and excitement while giving back to local firefighter communities.

Hook and Ladder was recently profiled by Gazette.Net. Included in the article is a list of places to get Hook & Ladder Beer, including Mongolian Barbeque, Hard Times Café, and the Quarry House Tavern.

MOM MADE FOODS

Mom Made ™ Foods - choice organics for children - is the Mid-Atlantic's first organically-certified producer of fresh frozen foods for children.

Heather Stouffer, Founder, created the company when she couldn't find any store-bought products in area supermarkets or specialty stores that she felt good about feeding her son. As a full-time working mom, cooking her own food wasn't always an option and she sought a practical way to introduce her son to a variety of wholesome, nutritious solid foods that would create the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Mom Made offers conveniently-sized servings made with the freshest organic ingredients then immediately frozen to lock-in the freshness. Mom Made products are all-natural without any additives or preservatives, offering three product lines, Mom Made for Baby, Mom Made Meals and Mom Made Munchies. Mom Made products can be found in freezer aisles in stores such as Whole Foods, Wegmans and many others. The company and products have been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, FOX, CBS, Sprig.com, Examiner and many others. For more information, visit www.mommadefoods.com.

NORTH STAR GAMES

The company was founded by two MBA graduates from the University of Maryland in 2004 in order to bring innovation back into a stagnant party game market. "The board game industry lacks innovation when it comes to game design because sales are driven by the latest Hollywood licenses." says founder Dominic Crapuchettes, "While the latest Hollywood license often makes a great gift, the games are poorly designed and usually come out of the closet only once before making its way to the Salvation Army." Contrary to current trends, North Star Games is taking a long term approach by focusing on games that are fun, innovative, and can be enjoyed time and time again.

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship has been very supportive of North Star Games since its inception in the summer of 2003 where it was incubated within the center. Since then, we have received great feedback on our business model, financial support with community events, and significant help towards getting in front of local investors.

SHOP DC

Zoey Rawlins, the owner and founder of SHOP DC, was recently interviewed by UrbanDivas.com about her experience creating a luxury magazine.

SHOP DC, a magazine owned and managed by Rawlins Media, capitalizes on the trend of increasing numbers of luxury hotels coming to the Washington DC area. SHOP DC is an up-scale, glamorous magazine which serves the 4 star hotel client, showcasing the high-end retail shops, spas and galleries. Unlike traditional visitors magazines, which tend to look more like coupon books, SHOP DC has the look and feel of a Town & Country or ELITE Traveler, but tailored to the individual market. For more information, visit www.shopdc.com.

XTS

September 30, 2005 The Capital Access Network (CAN) recently assisted a local start up, eXpert Technology Solutions (XTS), which provides turnkey business intelligence reporting to track access to corporate computer systems, in securing $50,000 in matching funds from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) in June 2005. After securing the DBED funding the company also obtained another $200,000 from an early-stage investor.

"We came to the Dingman Center and got great feedback and help refining our business plan," said Eric Spiegel, XTS CEO. "After the Dingman Center introduced us to DBED things really started rolling. I'd encourage any local entrepreneur to take advantage of the resources offered by CAN as a key first step in turning a business idea into a reality."

Press Release announcing New Product Launch