Marketing & Communications
Division of University Relations and Development
News Release
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Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Business Students
to Learn Lessons of Start-Up Survival SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, March 12, 2002—The halcyon days of seeking venture capital are gone. Legions of investors, burned by the catastrophic meltdown of so many Internet or tech-related enterprises in recent years, are more discriminating than ever when it comes to funding start-up businesses. It's a tough situation in which to succeed, and San Diego State University's 13th annual International Student Business Plan Competition, Venture Challenge 2002, will teach the lessons of this cold new investment world to some of the best and brightest up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Twenty teams of MBA students from the United States, Mexico and Sweden have been selected as semifinalists for Venture Challenge 2002. They are coming to San Diego March 27-29 to compete for a $15,000 grand prize and, more importantly, to get feedback and be mentored by the competition's judges - seasoned investors, entrepreneurs and financial professionals who can give the students the priceless knowledge they need to thrive in venture capital's nuclear winter. "This year's Venture Challenge takes place in a volatile market that has hampered the start-up of many companies, particularly those operating in the technology and e-commerce sectors," said Sanford Ehrlich, executive director of SDSU's Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC). "While one team will walk away with the grand prize, all competitors will learn the tools of survival as they seek funding for their ventures in this difficult environment." Schools from the following teams are participating in Venture Challenge 2002: Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, I.T.E.S.M. (one of Mexico's leading technical universities), Indiana University, Kennesaw State University, San Diego State University, Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, Thunderbird, University of Arizona, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Georgia, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Oregon, University of Texas-Austin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "These teams are coming from some of the best business schools around the country and around the globe, and it will be interesting to see how their plans and presentations reflect the dynamic market changes that have occurred," Ehrlich said. "Things that were hot among investors one or two years ago are no longer considered vogue. It definitely will affect how the judges evaluate the teams and their plans." Judges for Venture Challenge 2002 include senior executives from Carrot Capital, The Egan Group, Friedman Family Foundation, Global eSoft, Inc., GenOptix, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Greenbridge Capital, ICG Ventures E-colony, JNI Corp., LP Marketing, Mohomine, Inc., Pacific American Securities LLC, Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, ProFinance Associates, Inc., ResMed Corp., San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, Seed Enterprises, Shepherd Consulting, Silverberg Consulting, Six Month Fix, Union Bank of California and Zone Ventures. The schedule
for Venture Challenge 2002 includes: Locations, times and event information are available at www.sdsu.edu/emc. About Venture Challenge About the Entrepreneurial Management Center
(EMC) San Diego State University is the oldest
and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region.
Founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees
in 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 14 areas.
Its students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by
direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis
that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit
www.sdsu.edu. ### |
