College Park Md. and Beijing, China – September 2, 2008 — The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced the 20 semi-finalists of the school's 2008 China Business Plan Competition – Go for the Gold! The competition will award winners with more than $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a $25,000 grand prize and $15,000 second prize.

Robert H. Smith School of Business finance alumnus Anik Singal ’05, was named one of America’s most promising young entrepreneurs in BusinessWeek.com’s fourth annual roundup. Singal is a finalist for the top of the 25-and-under crop — online voting will narrow down the 25 finalists to determine the top five businesses that readers feel hold the most promise.

College Park, Md. – August 25, 2008 — The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) spurred the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to a No. 9 rank in the business specialty category for entrepreneurship, university officials announced today. The rankings appear in U.S. News & World Report’s annual America's Best Colleges 2009 issue, which hits newsstands today.

College Park, Md. – August 18, 2008 - The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced Steven Roth and Kären Olson joined the school’s nationally recognized Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship as entrepreneurs-in-residence. They will join an already-established roster of six prominent investors and entrepreneurs who donate their time to work in a senior advisory capacity to the emerging firms that the center serves.

The Smith School’s “Startup 2.0” Entrepreneurship Series in Beijing got off to a great start on July 15, 2008. More than 70 aspiring entrepreneurs attended a workshop “Creating an Effective Business Plan,” hosted by Zhongguancun Science Park, a government sponsored high technology zone often described as “China’s Silicon Valley” and a partner of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in the 2008 China Business Plan Competition. The workshop was presented by Ning Tang, CEO of China Growth Capital, and Chris Chen, CEO and founder of VanceInfo.

Beijing, China and College Park, Md. – May 14, 2008 - The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced the launch the 2008 China Business Plan Competition – Go for the Gold!, a contest delivered in partnership with the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). The competition, now in its fourth year, is supported by Fidelity Asia Ventures and invites China entrepreneurs to win cash prizes totaling US$50,000. Entrants are invited to submit their business ideas through July 1 via the Smith School China Web site.

College Park, Md. - April 15, 2008 - Environmentally friendly Internet provider Anaptyx won the top prize in this years Cupids Cup business competition on April 11, hosted by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. School alumnus Kevin Plank, chief executive and founder of sports apparel maker Under Armour, donated the $22,500 in prize money to the winning student- and alumni-run startup companies.

Rockville, Md. - April 9, 2008 - Students at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland will host an entrepreneurship conference, E*Generation: Entrepreneurship and the Environmental Renaissance, Saturday, April 19, at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville. The Smith Schools chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) organized the daylong conference, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m., engaging prospective and future business owners, entrepreneurs and students throughout the Washington D.C., region.

Dingman Center Gathers Students for Intriguing Real-life Business Lesson on Using the Past to Shape the Future Michael Granoff was astounded when he found out about Professor David Kirsch’s research. Granoff was meeting with team members at Project Better Place, a California-based startup electric vehicle company, when someone started passing around Kirsch’s book, “The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History.”

In March 2008, the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship hosted its annual Start-Up Night, bringing together entrepreneurs, students, venture capitalists and community members to network and share ideas. The event presented wonderful opportunities for entrepreneurs to get advice, share ideas and make contact with top MBA talent at Smith. Students had the chance to network with the entrepreneurs and speak with them about potential job opportunities.