Zombie Run Organizer Wins 7th Annual Cupid’s Cup Business Competition
Md. Gov. Martin O’Malley keynotes, Under Armour’s Kevin Plank and BB&T Sponsor
University of Maryland’s Entrepreneurship Invitational
College Park, Md. – April 2, 2012 – Reed Street Productions, organizer of zombie-themed
adventure races, took home $17,500 as the top winner at the seventh annual
Cupid’s
Cup business competition, March 30, at the University of Maryland. The competition
was the highlight of the UMD Entrepreneurship Invitational, a showcase of the university’s
impressive impact on venture creation and economic development in the region, hosted
by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Cupid’s Cup is sponsored by alumnus Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour,
the Baltimore-based leader in performance apparel, footwear and accessories.
The daylong event featured keynotes from Plank and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
It began with the launch of Startup Maryland, a statewide initiative of the White
House’s Startup America Partnership to stimulate emerging companies. Following the
launch, the BB&T Business Invitational highlighted thriving University of Maryland
and Washington-Baltimore region startups, entrepreneurship groups and economic development
organizations in a lively tradeshow format. The day culminated with the Cupid’s
Cup competition.
Gov. O’Malley addressed the more than 600-person audience gathered at the university’s
Stamp Student Union, stressing the state’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship
and the university’s integral role in fueling innovation and new business creation.
“We have a responsibility to create jobs and expand opportunity for the future,”
O’Malley said. “Being entrepreneurs is a critically important part of that. Being
Americans, being willing to invest in a country you believe in, is another important
part of that. I thank all of you so much for leading the way here at the University
of Maryland.”
In his keynote, Plank echoed O’Malley’s call for entrepreneurship to strengthen
the economy.
“There is an answer, and it rests in yourself it rests in the conviction – more
importantly, the courage – to take a chance and start that business,” Plank said.
“Entrepreneurship can fix the problem that isn’t just a Maryland or a U.S. problem,
but it’s happening all over the world.”
Plank spoke before announcing the Cupid’s Cup winners. He judged the five finalists’
pitches with a panel of veteran entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Rob
McGovern, chairman and CEO of Jobfox and founder of CareerBuilder.com. Plank presented
the prizes to the winning companies:
- $15,000, 1st place – Reed Street Productions, operators of Run for Your
Lives, a zombie themed adventure race attracting thousands of participants
- $7,500, 2nd place – Food Safety Administration, provider of online courses
for food service professionals required to earn food and alcohol safety certifications
- $2,500, People’s Choice Award, decided by audience vote – Reed Street Productions
(sponsored by Sam Medile ’80, a successful entrepreneur and former Terp student
athlete)
Other finalists:
- 10G Systems, supplier of web-based transportation software to small to mid-size
shippers
- Route One Apparel, an e-commerce platform for creative apparel designed
by students
- Visisonics, a UMD spinout that enables realistic 3D audio for music, movies
and gaming in standard headphones
Dan Waetjen, BB&T group president for the Greater Washington region, also presented
prizes from BB&T for participants of the BB&T Business Invitational:
- $2,000 best student/alumni company – My Fridge Rental (winners of the 2011
Cupid’s Cup)
- $2,000 best regional company – Veenome
Cupid’s Cup – named for Plank’s college Valentine rose venture -- has grown every
year and highlights the Dingman Center’s more than 25-year history of providing
University of Maryland students with practical experiences and opportunities to
pitch their business ideas, receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and
access funding.
“Working with our partners across campus, we are collectively focused on nurturing
university entrepreneurship,” said Elana Fine, associate director of the Dingman
Center for Entrepreneurship. “We are committed to working with entrepreneurs from
the beginning stages to help their ventures become drivers of the economy.”
About the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship
The Dingman Center has been a hub of campus and regional entrepreneurial
activity for 25 years. Among the Dingman Center’s resources are its Dingman
Center Angels program, a pipeline that connects startups from regional tech
councils, incubators and state-funded institutions with a network of more than
40 active, accredited angel investors and venture capitalists for early-stage
capital. The center also helps lead the University of Maryland’s Technology
Transfer programs and provides MBA and undergraduate students at the Smith
School with practical experiences and opportunities to pitch their business
ideas, obtain feedback from experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence and access
funding.
About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader
in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University
of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and
part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs,
as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree,
custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.
