An impressive gathering of students and community leaders helped kick-off the 2009 UNM Technology Business Plan Competition Kick-Off at a recent reception. The kick-off event at the Anderson School Jackson Student Center gave UNM students the opportunity to learn more about creating a business plan for a high-tech startup firm and compete for prize money.
Photo: Distinguished Professor Sul Kassicieh
Distinguished Professor Sul Kassicieh, founder of the competition, introduced students to the community leaders who offer resources and support to the UNM Technology Business Plan Competition, now in its fifth year.
The competition encourages students from all UNM schools and colleges to collaborate on teams that commercialize technology products developed at UNM, Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos National Lab, or elsewhere in the state. These student-owned startup firms bring inventions from lab to market and have the potential to boost economic development in New Mexico.
Top prize for the competition is the $25,000 Michael Gallegos Prize for Entrepreneurship. TVC Lockheed Martin sponsors the $10,000 second place prize, and vSpring Capital offers the third place $5,000 prize.
The valued business and community supporters of the competition include American Property Management Corporation – APMC and Michael Gallegos; Technology Ventures Corporation – TVC, Lockheed Martin, and Sherman McCorkle; vSpring Capital, the KickStart Seed Fund, and Gavin Christensen; the NM Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development – WIRED - Initiative, and Gregory Scheib; The Technology Innovation Program (TIP) Endowment, and Raymond Radosevich; the Miller Financial Group of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Bank of the West; Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; EPIC Ventures; and Flywheel Ventures.
The 2010 UNM Technology Business Plan Competition will take place on Friday, April 16, 2010, and the winners will be announced that evening at the awards reception and banquet.
There is still time for students to get involved. For more information visit: Technology Business Plan or contact Program Manager Jennifer Bayley at bayley@mgt.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Leslie Venzuela, (505) 277-7117; e-mail: venzuela@mgt.unm.edu
Posted by scarr at October 7, 2009 10:27 AM