Are you a UMBC student working hard towards your degree and an entrepreneurial venture? Would you like some recognition for going above and beyond? The Eisenberg Scholarship is our way of showing you that we see it—all the tireless effort, the hours, and the dedication. If you’re that student, all you need to do to be a candidate for this scholarship is to fill out the attached application. Remember, the deadline is September 29, 2017.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Joseph and Frieda Faiman Eisenberg/VPC Endowed Scholarship is to provide a $500 scholarship award to an outstanding UMBC undergraduate interested in becoming an entrepreneur. This award is associated with UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship.

The scholarship will be awarded for the 2017-2018 academic year.

CRITERIA:

The student selected to receive this award should:

 Be a full-time degree-seeking student in good standing at UMBC

 Submit a personal statement about their interest in entrepreneurship

 Submit a resume

 Demonstrate an interest in becoming an entrepreneur

 Have a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 29, 2017

GOT IDEAS? LET’S HEAR THEM! Share them with us and you might win $750! Keep reading to learn how your brilliant idea can win you some cash!

The annual UMBC Idea competition is designed to challenge you to think about problems and opportunities all around us. If UMBC is one of the most innovative schools in the nation, then UMBC students are just the kind of innovators that can really change the world. This is your chance to make it happen.

Simply answer a handful of general questions regarding your idea on the entry form (video pitches are allowed, just link your video to your form). The top entries will be judged by a panel of professionals and alumni, along with a crowd of students on November 16, 2017, at the final competition in the Commons Sports Zone.

Cash prizes are:

·         1st prize                  $750  

·         2nd Prize                $500

·         3rd Prize                 $250

·         Best Pitch               $250

How to Enter

To enter the competition, complete the UMBC Idea Competition Entry Form, which asks you to describe a problem or opportunity, and describe your idea for addressing it. Submission forms will be limited to one page, so you will need to articulate the problem you have identified and your idea succinctly. You will also be allowed to post a video to YouTube in which you can personally pitch your idea to the campus. The videos are not required, but they are encouraged as an effective way to communicate ideas to the review committee. YouTube videos are limited to 60 seconds and creativity is encouraged. Videos longer than 60 seconds will not be considered by the judges.

For a full list of the rules, visit http://entrepreneurship.umbc.edu/competitions/umbcs-idea-competition/

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: October 12 at 1 PM

We hope you had your fill of sunshine, mojitos and laid-back afternoons because the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship has a full semester of workshops and events booked to give you the entrepreneurial-inside-scoop from every angle possible.

Are you a technologist looking for the how-tos to breaking it in the security field? We’ve got something for you.

Are you a total maverick that’s trying to live an independent fulfilled life but need proof that it’s possible? We’ve got something for you too.

Do you already know everything but need a little guidance and inspiration? We’ve even got something for you.

We are so excited to be kicking off Fall 2017 with some very influential guests, as well as some new resources and opportunities to send your way—so stay tuned, turn on your email notifications, and keep checking in so you don’t miss out on anything.

Also, don’t forget to check out the details on this semester’s annual Idea Competition. Submissions are due by October 12th, so we encourage you to start applying now!  

A list of our semester workshops and speaker series are listed below, as well as attached at the bottom.

WORKSHOPS

The Killer Business Plan

Neil Davis

Monday, Oct 2 - 12 - 1PM at The Commons 329

How “Not” to Hire Your First 10 Employees

Yair Flicker

Monday, Oct 9 - 12 - 1PM at The Commons 329

Getting Beyond Better: The Entrepreneur’s Role in Saving Society

Scott Townsley

Wednesday, Nov 15 - 12 - 1PM at The Commons 318

SPEAKER SERIES

Experiences and Lessons Learned Building Software Companies

Ron and Cyndi Gula

Wednesday, Sep 27 - 12 - 1PM UC 310

The Business (and Reality) of Starting Up

Brad Smith

Monday, Oct 16 - 12 - 1PM UC 310

Entrepreneurs Panel

Monday, Nov 20 - 12 - 1PM UC 310

IDEA COMPETITION

Application Deadline: October 12th at 1 pm

Competition Date: November 16th in The Commons SportZone from 7pm to 9pm

On Wednesday, April 26th, the Library Gallery was teaming with supporters who turned out for the fourth annual Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition (CBIC). Made possible by a generous gift from alumnus and serial entrepreneur Greg Cangialosi, and coordinated by UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, the CBIC offers students an opportunity to experience the process of planning a start-up business.

This year, over thirty (30) ideas were submitted to the competition and the top six (6) were presented at the final competition. The judging panel consisted of David Stack, Senior VP of UBS, Meredith Persico, Operations Manager of the Baltimore Angels, and Greg Cangialosi himself.

UMBC undergraduate and graduate students participated and each person/team was paired with a business mentor to help them further develop and polish their idea prior to the final competition.

Stakes were high with cash awards of $3,000 for 1st place, $2,000 for 2nd place and $1,000 for 3rd place, with an additional $2,000 available after a 6-month review, as well as a 6 month  membership to Betamore, a Federal Hill based incubator and educational facility co-founded by Cangialosi.

First place was awarded to Aye-Aye. Their invention provides people with vision impairment a non-sensory-blocking means of ‘seeing’ what is around them. They designed a computerized device which is worn as a waist band and vibrates as the user nears objects.  An enthusiastic presentation was given by Chris Bodan with demonstrations of the prototype by his team member, James Baker. In their words, “Participating in the CBIC was a life changing experience. In just over a month, we took an idea and transformed it into a full business proposition.The CBIC isn't just a contest. The guidance, advice, and resources you are given along the way are invaluable. The CBIC is an opportunity for students to take a ‘what if’ and turn it into something extraordinary."

Second place was awarded to Aerwell, a clean energy device that extracts clean and pure water from humidity in the air to provide fresh water and sustainable energy. The water can then be used either for drinking or for agricultural purposes. Engineering team members Benjamin Hallett, Elyse Hill, Hannah Corcos and Christian Ingham presented the idea and idea originator Bedford Boylston joined in for the Q &A session.  This is the second year in a row Aerwell placed in the Top 3.  The judges were particularly impressed with the progress that had been made developing a working prototype. Hill remarked, "We never expected to be in a business competition as mechanical engineers. But then we were presented with this great opportunity through our senior design class, and through the support of our mentors we were able to learn about entrepreneurship as it applies to our field. We hope to encourage other technical majors who may not think this is an option for them to consider entrepreneurship and opportunities like this."

Finally, third place was awarded to GermoSense, a device that can detect sepsis, and determine whether a certain antibiotic will provide effective treatment of the infection in under an hour. GermoSense was invented and presented by grad student Mustafa Al-Adhami. Regarding the opportunity, Al-Adhami said, “"Great experience, great mentors, and so many great ideas".

Participation in the competition is just the first phase of the business education the winning teams will experience. By far the most important part of the CBIC will be what comes next, the involvement in Betamore programming and events which will provide valuable connections to the Baltimore business community.

We would like to say congratulations to all participants who entered. We are so proud of the innovation and creativity at UMBC and are excited to see what’s next!

Pictured from left to right, Mustafa Al-Adhimi, James Baker, Chris Bodan, Greg Cangialosi, Benjamin Hallett, Christian Ingham, Elyse Hill, and Hannah Corcos

Tomorrow is the day! Our Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition finalists have been working hard this semester on their business plans to pitch to real investors--the Baltimore Angels. Come watch UMBC's version of Shark Tank tomorrow, April 26 from 7 pm to 9 pm, in the Library Gallery, as your peers compete for up to $3,000. It's sure to be eventful and we can't wait to spend the evening with you! 

What is the CBIC?
The CBIC is an opportunity for UMBC students who are serious about starting a business.

Who Should Participate?
Any UMBC student (full or part time, graduate or undergraduate) with a dream of launching their own business soon.

Why Participate?
The CIBC will give you "real world" experience.  You'll be paired with a business mentor and you'll get helpful feedback and guidance.  You'll also get connected to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Winners also get: 

·         Free legal services

·         Accounting advice

·         Membership at the award winning Betamore campus in Federal Hill

·         Fundraising advice and Pitch practice with members of Betamore Angels. 

1ST PRIZE = $3,000

2ND PRIZE = $2,000

3RD PRIZE = $1,000 

Additional $2,000 available after 6 months.