What
The UNLV Lee Business School and the Las Vegas Business Press will announce the winners of the 2014 Dominic Anthony Marrocco Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition (SNBPC). Teams of budding entrepreneurs have been competing since January to advance their proposals for new businesses.
The winning team will receive more than $80,000 in cash and prizes to help develop their new business, including a virtual office, accounting and legal services.
When
Friday, April 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Winner to be announced about 7 p.m.
Where
UNLV Foundations Building, Blasco Event Wing
4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154
Northeast end of the UNLV campus, near Maryland Parkway and Cottage Grove Avenue.
Details
UNLV students are represented on four of the five finalists. During the event, teams will present a 60-second elevator pitch of their business plans to the audience.
Finalists include:
GovernSocial.com - GovernSocial.com is a personalized, online social network that connects citizens with local and national elected officials. The company's goal is to reinvent citizen participation in government. UNLV student Jason Alt, a major in management information systems, and Lukas Johnson are co- founders.
ProStem Solutions, Inc. - ProStem Solutions, Inc. collects and stores clients' dental stem cells that can be used in case of future injury or illness. The cells could be used to grow tissue for vital organs. The company is a collaboration between the UNLV School of Dental Medicine and students in UNLV's MBA/New Venture Certificate program. The company's founder is Dr. Happy Ghag, an alumnus and orthodontic resident of UNLV's dental school.
Skyworks Aerial Systems - Skyworks Aerial Systems designs, manufactures, and sells Unmanned Aerial Systems, commonly called drones, for civil and commercial applications. The team envisions their drones being used for various services, ranging from delivering packages to aiding emergency personnel in search and rescue operations. UNLV engineering students Greg Friesmuth and Jinger Zeng started the company after creating the drones for the engineering college's senior design competition in 2013.
Smart Start - Community members Layna Chui, Alden Wonnell, Peggy Yuen and Xiaosheng Huang founded Smart Start, a company designed to help Chinese college and university students in Nevada get acclimated to American life and culture. The company offers academic, social and professional mentoring to assist students with various issues, including communication, campus involvement, social etiquette and career exploration.
Webraind Corp. - Webraind is a web development company focused on creating Webraind.com, a social quiz website where knowledge is stored, rewarded and shared. Using multiple choice questions, users can categorize, quantify and test their knowledge on the information they gain online and store it on their customized Webraind account. Team members are UNLV hotel student Patrik Balint, Mragendra Singh, Caitlin Kelly and Micah Lapping-Carr.
Judges include:
o Dominic Marrocco, entrepreneur and title sponsor of the SNBPC
o William Botts, entrepreneur, angel investor and member of the Rebel Venture Fund Management Board
o Bryan Clark, partner at Cane Clark LLP and member of the Rebel Venture Fund Management Board
o Ian McNeil, principal at Brennan Capital Partners and member of the Rebel Venture Fund
Advisory Board
o Gene Wong, angel investor and member of UNLV's Center for Entrepreneurship Executive Board
The Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition began in 2010 to help energize the Las Vegas economy by developing the best new business idea in the region. The contest is sponsored by the UNLV Center for Entrepreneurship at the Lee Business School and the Las Vegas Business Press.
Media
Media are invited to cover the event. Media may RSVP with Karyn Hollingsworth, (702) 895-3904, Karyn.Hollingsworth@unlv.edu.
