CONTACT: Jason Foster, foster@mail.sdsu.edu
SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-2585, pager (619) 620-1184

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SURVIVOR 101: ONLY THE FITTEST SURVIVE AT SDSU’s VENTURE CHALLENGE
20 Semifinalists Face Tough Test at New Venture Competition March 18-19
Hosted by San Diego State University’s Entrepreneurial Management Center

SAN DIEGO, March 1, 2004 — Twenty teams of MBA students from the U.S., Canada and Sweden will compete for more than $25,000 in prizes to seed their start-up businesses at this year’s 15th annual Venture Challenge international new venture competition. The event, one of the cornerstones of the SDSU Month 2004 celebration, will be held March 18-19 at the Hilton San Diego Mission Valley.

This year’s business plans represent a wider than usual variety of industries, from medical devices and wireless technology to web-based educational tools and new retail entertainment venues. “The sophistication and quality of plans continues to rise every year, and 2004 is no exception,” said Sanford Ehrlich, executive director of SDSU’s Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC).

Teams from the following schools will participate in Venture Challenge 2004: Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Indiana University; Purdue University; San Diego State University; Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Irvine; University of Georgia; University of Illinois – Chicago; University of Manitoba; University of Michigan; University of Nebraska – Lincoln; University of Oregon; University of South Carolina; University of Texas – Austin; University of Washington; and Wake Forest University.

“These teams are coming from some of the best business schools around the country and around the globe. I’m confident that the leading regional entrepreneurs and investors who serve as competition judges will be impressed,” Ehrlich said.

Judges for Venture Challenge 2004 include Massih Tayebi, Tayebi Foundation; Niki Krutop, partner, Ernst & Young; Jack Florio, vice president, San Diego Tech Coast Angels; John Rehfeld, board member, Seiko USA; Lou Kelly, vice president/COO, Orincon Technologies; Tyler Orion, president, San Diego Regional Technology Alliance; and Arthur Klausner, general partner, Domain Associates.

The schedule for Venture Challenge 2004 includes:

· Thursday, March 18 – Semifinalist Presentations, noon to 3:30 p.m.; Business Plan Exhibit Fair, 6 to 8 p.m. (open to the public)

· Friday, March 19 – Finalist Presentations, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Locations, times and event information (including RSVP details) are available at: www.sdsu.edu/emc/venture_challenge.

For more information on the full schedule of SDSU Month events, visit
www.sdsumonth.com.

ABOUT VENTURE CHALLENGE
San Diego State University’s Entrepreneurial Management Center, a program in the College of Business Administration, has hosted Venture Challenge since 1989. The event has drawn teams from across the nation since 1991 and internationally since 1997. In addition to the competition, judges meet with each team in a spirit of consultation and mentoring so that the students can gain insight on how to turn their business plans into successful ventures. Venture Challenge’s major sponsors include QUALCOMM Incorporated, the Nasdaq Educational Foundation, JBM Properties, and KPBS.

ABOUT THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT CENTER (EMC)
The EMC (www.sdsu.edu/emc) was created in 1982 to provide SDSU students, organizations and individuals with education focusing on the application of the underlying principles and perspectives of entrepreneurship. The EMC’s objective is to help people improve their chances of achieving success by becoming immersed in all stages of the entrepreneurial process in the classroom and the marketplace.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
The SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S., with over 6,000 students. Its programs in undergraduate international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report. SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU now offers bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 67 and doctorates in 14. SDSU's more than 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

###