News & Announcements: MBA Entrepreneurship Programs:
Current Academic Year (2009-10)
Announcing the Winners of Darden's Entrepreneurial Concept Competition for 2009:
The competition took place on Friday November 6. Without further ado, here are the winning concepts and teams:
1st place--Kaio Teas: Georgi Yanchev (Class of 2011)--$3,000 & advances to the UVA Cup Finals
2nd place--Patton's List: Clark Herndon, Michael Fallon, and Steven Cunningham (all Class of 2011)--$1,500
3rd place--Carlo Woods: Carlos Camacho and Jamaica Wood (both Class of 2011)--$500
The finals were well attended this year, so thanks to all who came and supported the entrepreneurs! And the competition was swept by first-years in what may be an all-time first in the history of the Darden concept competition. Those in attendance were able to sample grape seed oil, which turned out to be one of the prize-winning concepts.
Best of luck to Georgi Yanchev (pictured above, center, in 4 Cups of Herbal Tea a Day t-shirt) and his concept for online organic herbal teas as he advances to represent Darden at the UVA Cup finals on Friday, November 20.
We would also like to thank the record number of teams who submitted business concepts, all the finalists who participated, and our judges, Michael del Rosso, Dean Johnson, and Ron Templeton, who all helped make the competition a success.
Charlottesville Makes Top 20 Best Places to Launch:
CNNMoney.com has ranked Charlottesville #19 on its Best Places to Launch list for small metro areas. Charlottesville's "thriving entrepreneurial community" is cited--the article finds a number of contributing factors, including the presence of the University of Virginia, Darden, and the Batten Institute, as well as the stimulus of venture capital in the Charlottesville-DC area. Darden alumn Adam Healey, who launched his company (Hotelicopter) in Charlottesville, is quoted in the article.
New Entrepreneurship Program Videos: Technology Accelerator, Incubator, and Batten Venture Internship:
Check out new videos with Philippe Sommer, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs.
Medical Device Company Founded by Darden Graduate in the News:
On September 10, Freedom Meditech, Inc., founded by Darden graduate Craig Misrach, was highlighted in Medical Devices Today: Strategy, Regulatory, Innovation & Investment Coverage from the Industry's Top Publications. The company's President/CEO Craig Misrach, was in the Darden Business Incubator while at Darden. Freedom Meditech is developing non-invasive glucose monitoring systems which it plans to sell directly to consumers as well as an in-office diabetes screening system using light to detect the glucose concentration level in the eye.
New Entrepreneurship Competition, UVA Cup, Coming October/November 2009:
Darden Entrepreneurship Program announces the first-ever UVA Cup, a new cross-university entrepreneurship competition with Entrepreneurial Concept Competitions to be hosted at multiple schools all across the University of Virginia. The UVA Cup will incorporate the previously existing Darden Business Concept Competition, to be held at Darden on November 6, 2009. Darden will be one of several participating UVA schools to host its own entrepreneurial concept competition, along with the UVA Law School, the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, and the UVA Schools of Nursing & School of Medicine, and others.
The finals of the UVA Cup will be held on November 20, 2009. For more information about participating schools and how to enter your entrepreneurial business concept in the UVA Cup, contact MJ Toms.
News Archives: Academic Year 2008-09
Easy Ways to Stay in the Loop:
1: Join Darden's Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVC Club) and the university-wide E*Society! Sign up for their email lists.
2: Read about the events on the timeline above and put them and their application deadlines on your calendar. Set up reminders!
3: Introduce yourself to Philippe Sommer, Director of Darden's Entrepreneurship Programs.