Announcing the 2009 Competition Winners

The University of Cincinnati Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research is pleased to announce the 2009 UC Spirit of Enterprise MBA Business Plan Competition Winners.  

Hosted by the
University of Cincinnati Center for Entrepreneurship Education & Research and
Cincom Systems, Inc.

Participating Schools

Boston University
Brown University
Cornell University
Georgetown University
Kennesaw State University
Loyola Marymount University
Ohio State University
University of Arkansas
University of Cincinnati
University of Georgia
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Manitoba
University of Michigan
University of Oregon
University of Virginia
Wake Forest University

2009 Univeristy of Cincinnati Spirit of Enterprise Winners

Championship Round Awards

Cincom Systems Spirit of Enterprise Champion Award - $10,000 Prize
Automatic bid to the 2009 Global Moot Corp® Competition
University of Arkansas
Tears for Life
Tears for Life is a medical diagnostic equipment company that is currently developing a non-invasive tear test kit that will be able to reliably screen women for breast cancer using proteins found in women's tears. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Carol Reeves
Team Members:  Chris Elizer, Jared Greer, Jordan Greer, Bessie Williams  

1st Runner Up Meridian Spirit Award      $3,000 Prize
Brown University
SolarCycle
SolarCycle’s primary innovation is a low-cost reflective material made from plastic bags and metalized chip bags, which replace mirrors in solar concentrating applications.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Barrett Hazeline
Team Members:  John Tilleman and Nilay Patel

2nd Runner Up Queen City Angels First Fund Award  $2,000 Prize
University of Oregon
Parallel Imaging Corporation
Parallel Imaging Corporation designs and manufactures cutting edge coil arrays for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Don Upson
Team Members:  Graham Crawford, John LaManna, John Parsons, Benjamin C. Stoller

3rd Runner Up         $ 750 Prize
Cornell University
GeneWeave Biosciences
GeneWeave Biosciences is commercializing a Cornell University technology that places the power of a large diagnostics laboratory in the palm of your hand.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Zachary J. Shulman
Team Members:  Diego A. Rey, Jason M. Springs, Leonardo Teixeira

4th Runner Up         $500 Prize
Boston University
Burning Hollow Technologies
Burning Hollow Technologies is building a scalable home automation solution.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Vinit Nijhawan
Team Members:  James R. Lewis and Mark Kasdorf

Best Technology Plan Award            $1,000 prize
Cornell University
GeneWeave Biosciences
GeneWeave Biosciences is commercializing a Cornell University technology that places the power of a large diagnostics laboratory in the palm of your hand.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Zachary J. Shulman
Team Members:  Diego A. Rey, Jason M. Springs, Leonardo Teixeira

Taxi/Limo Competition Round Awards            $1,000 prize
University of Illinois at Chicago
Pax Neuroscience, Inc.
Pax Neuroscience delivers a patented blood test that rapidly assesses the effectiveness of antidepressants. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Rodney Shrader
Team Members:  Aben Cooper, MPT, David Miller, Christopher Shoemaker, MEd

Exhibition Round Awards

1st Place ($350)
Cornell University
GeneWeave Biosciences
GeneWeave Biosciences is commercializing a Cornell University technology that places the power of a large diagnostics laboratory in the palm of your hand.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Zachary J. Shulman
Team Members:  Diego A. Rey, Jason M. Springs, Leonardo Teixeira

2nd Place ($250)
University of Arkansas
Tears for Life
Tears for Life is a medical diagnostic equipment company that is currently developing a non-invasive tear test kit that will be able to reliably screen women for breast cancer using proteins found in women's tears. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Carol Reeves
Team Members:  Chris Elizer, Jared Greer, Jordan Greer, Bessie Williams  

3rd Place ($150)
Ohio State University
NanoMed
NanoMed will bring to market innovative lab equipment for the genetic research market.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. S. Michael Camp
Team Members:   Bruce H. Caldwell, Eric Cochran, Mihaela Jekic, Aaron Sandler

2009 Sponsors

Platinum Level - $10,000

   

Gold Level - $5,000

Silver Level - $2,100*

Friends - $500

Bold Thinking, LLC

L. Stephen Boord

Keating, Muething & Klekamp, PLL

River Cities Capital Funds

Additional thanks to Big Joe’s Limos and Cincy Magazine for their in-kind contributions.

*In recognition of our Center’s #21 ranking by the Princeton Review 2009.

2009 Judges

Exhibition Judges
Bill Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer/Mt. Carmel Brewing Company
Mark L. Opitz, Esq.
Associate/ Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
William H. Haman
President/SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business

Taxi/Limo Round Judge
Dov Rosenberg
Associate, Blue Chip Venture Company

Best Technology Plan Judges
Christopher Baucom, CFA
Managing Director/Fort Washington Capital Partners Group
Casey Barach
Executive Director/Madison E-Zone
Bill Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer/Mt. Carmel Brewing Company

Preliminary Round Judges
Christopher Hytry Derrington
CEO & Co-founder/ Rural America IT
Michael Lee
Founder/ Proxi Market Solutions
Elizabeth A. Edwards
Venture Capital Investor/ Neyer Holdings Corporation
Damon Ragusa
Founder & CEO/ThinkVine Corporation
Rea N. Waldon, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President/Economic Empowerment & Entrepreneurship, Urban League of Greater Cincinnati
L. Stephen Boord
Managing Director – Merchant Banking / Neyer Holdings
Jean B. Lauterbach
President/Prism Consulting
T. Carter Gaither
Manager, Finance & Administration/River Cities Capital Fund
Jim Cunningham
President/The Circuit and Director/C-Cap
Karen E. Morgan
Investment Professional/Charter Life Sciences
Jeffrey A. Stamp, PhD
Founder & CEO/Bold Thinking, LLC
Patrick N. Longo
Director/Hamilton County Business Center

Championship Round Judges
John A. Kraeutler
Chief Executive Officer/ Meridian Bioscience
Tony Shipley
Chairman/ Queen City Angels
Daniel J. Vogel, CPA
Director of Finance/ Cincom Systems, Inc.
Jennifer C. Wolfe, Esq.
Founder and CEO/ The Wolfe Practice

All Team Descriptions

Boston University
Burning Hollow Technologies
Burning Hollow Technologies is building a scalable home automation solution.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Vinit Nijhawan
Team Members:  James R. Lewis and Mark Kasdorf

Brown University
SolarCycle
SolarCycle’s primary innovation is a low-cost reflective material made from plastic bags and metalized chip bags, which replace mirrors in solar concentrating applications.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Barrett Hazeline
Team Members:  John Tilleman and Nilay Patel

Cornell University
GeneWeave Biosciences
GeneWeave Biosciences is commercializing a Cornell University technology that places the power of a large diagnostics laboratory in the palm of your hand.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Zachary J. Shulman
Team Members:  Diego A. Rey, Jason M. Springs, Leonardo Teixeira

Georgetown University
EnviroBlinds
EnviroBlinds adapts the basic design for Venetian blinds to create an innovative solar concentrating blind system that fits into office windows, minimizes glare, and produces thermal energy.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Ross Harrison
Team Members:  Drew Durbin and Shyam Sundaram

Illinois Institute of Technology
eMotion
eMotion creates and offers devices that support communication between those who are physically separated but emotionally connected in a simple and safe manner. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Jim Braband
Team Members:  Anica Jovanova, Avelo Roy, Ed Suda

Kennesaw State University
NatureCure Technology LLC
NatureCure Technology LLC is the creator and manufacturer of two all natural medications that prevent bedsores and aid the healing of diabetic ulcers, which could save the US Healthcare industry over $100 billion annually. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Charles Hofer
Team Members:  Boris Gorinshteyn, Kate Gorinshteyn, Ken Langston, Ted Randall

Loyola Marymount University
FreshLogik
FreshLogik is the producer of the RoBrū (the first all-in-one coffee roaster, grinder, and brewer appliance) and seller of the appliance and raw coffee beans and flavors on the FreshLogik.com website.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Fred Kiesner
Team Members:  Daniella Dorner, Jonathan Hawk, Jason Spindler, Chris Wilhelm

Ohio State University
NanoMed
NanoMed will bring to market innovative lab equipment for the genetic research market.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. S. Michael Camp
Team Members:   Bruce H. Caldwell, Eric Cochran, Mihaela Jekic, Aaron Sandler

University of Arkansas
Tears for Life
Tears for Life is a medical diagnostic equipment company that is currently developing a non-invasive tear test kit that will be able to reliably screen women for breast cancer using proteins found in women's tears. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Carol Reeves
Team Members:  Chris Elizer, Jared Greer, Jordan Greer, Bessie Williams   

University of Cincinnati
Diabetitec, LLC
Diabetitec improves the lives of millions of Americans suffering with diabetic foot ulcers. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Charles Matthews
Team Members:  Phil Gettinger and Amro Kamel 

University of Georgia
Mechanixloop
Mechanixloop offers auto repair shops the first pay per lead solution in a $1.4 billion market that is characterized by large upfront fees and no guaranteed results.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Christopher Hanks
Team Members:  Jim Bolton and Joseph Caldwell  

University of Houston
Sifar (formerly Educhill)
Sifar is an education service solutions provider with a plan to operate in the Indian education-related IT solutions and product market. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Keith Rassin
Team Members:  Ravi Khandelwal, Deepshikha Pal, Mrinmoy Pal

University of Illinois at Chicago
Pax Neuroscience, Inc.
Pax Neuroscience delivers a patented blood test that rapidly assesses the effectiveness of antidepressants. 
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Rodney Shrader
Team Members:  Aben Cooper, MPT, David Miller, Christopher Shoemaker, MEd

University of Kentucky         
Mantra Fresh Indian Grill
Mantra Indian Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept serving authentic Indian food in a fresh and contemporary format.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Gordon F. Holbein
Team Members:  Matt Cooper, Michael Jones, Sharath Vemuri

University of Louisville
PackStream, LLC
PackStream™ enables an innovative form of consumer engagement by transforming home delivered packages into a new medium for marketing and advertising.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Van G.H. Clouse
Team Members:  Daniel K. Bower, Patrick Just, Erik Nelson, Troy C. Thomas

University of Manitoba
Altave
A start up medical device company commercializing an organ preservation solution.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Robert Warren
Team Members:  Cam Bulloch, Jason Leibert, Scott Young, Yilan Zhang

University of Michigan
dusoto
dusoto is a highly dynamic online platform for international nightlife.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Paul Kirsch
Team Members:  Alexander Robart and Christopher Robart

University of Oregon
Parallel Imaging Corporation
Parallel Imaging Corporation designs and manufactures cutting edge coil arrays for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Don Upson
Team Members:  Graham Crawford, John LaManna, John Parsons, Benjamin C. Stoller

University of Virginia
Clean India
Clean India provides wastewater recycling services to Small and Medium Enterprises in India in a cost effective, financially sustainable, and environmentally friendly manner.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Saras D. Sarasvathy
Team Members:  David Bowlin, Baijnath Ramraika, Ravi Yekula

Wake Forest University
Adia Beading
Adia Beading is a socially-conscious for-profit jewelry venture, working to provide women in America with unique, stylish, cause-related jewelry shopping experience, while providing women in Ndathi, Kenya with jobs and stable incomes to support the development of their community.
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. J. Bren Varner
Team Member:  Elizabeth A. Carroll

 Past Competition Results

2008 UC Spirit of Enterprise MBA Business Plan Competition
        For more results and photos of the 2008 Spirit online at MarketWire, click here.
       
2007 UC Spirit of Enterprise MBA Business Plan Competition

2006 UC Spirit of Enterprise MBA Business Plan Competition

2005 UC Spirit of Enterprise MBA Business Plan Competition