SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
After reviewing a record number of entries to the 7th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) has announced its six graduate and six undergraduate finalists, as well as its six finalists for the Lt Governor’s Award. Finalists include teams from the Sierra Nevada College, Truckee Meadows Community College, University of Nevada, Reno and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and. A complete list of finalists are below.
This year’s competition had a record 73 business plan submissions. NCET will announce winners for the 7th annual competition at the Awards Dinner and Ceremony on Wednesday, April 20 at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.
“This year’s Governor’s Cup entries not only exceeded our goal in the sheer number of entries, but exceeded all or our expectations in the quality of work,” noted Dave Archer, NCET’s CEO. “Nevada’s business community is in very good hands with this group of young entrepreneurs and innovators.”
The Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup is the only state-wide collegiate business plan competition which encourages students from Nevada’s universities and colleges to consider entrepreneurship as a career option, and which gives students real-world experience in developing business plans. During the competition, students receive feedback and guidance from Nevada’s business community as they compete for cash prizes totaling nearly $100,000 dollars. The three winning graduate teams and three winning undergraduate teams will be awarded $20,000 first prizes, $10,000 second prizes and $5,000 third prizes. A special Lt Governor’s Award of $5,000 will also be presented to the business plan that best employs clean, renewable or efficient energy technologies and services.
The 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition Awards Dinner and Ceremony will feature a live “elevator pitch” competition in which the student team captains take part. The evening also features a keynote speech from Jamie Naughton of Zappos.com. Lt. Governor Brian K. Krolicki returns as the master of ceremonies.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dave Archer at [email protected] or (775) 315-7635. Tables of eight are also available for just $750. For table sales or other Governor’s Cup information, please visit www.NCETgovucp.org or contact Roxanne DeCarlo at [email protected] or (775) 853-4226 or (702) 944-9722
About The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.
About Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology
NCET is an independent award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps Nevadan start and grow new businesses by providing educational services and by connecting them to the resources they need to succeed. NCET is an independent award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded by public contributions, sponsorships, program revenues and limited grants. NCET is not affiliated with the State of Nevada and receives no state funding. Please visit www.NCET.org for more information, or contact Dave Archer at [email protected] or (775) 315-7635.
Complete list of finalists:
Graduate Finalists
Mad Sensor, UNLV
Rebel Technology Associates has developed the innovative Motorcycle Accident Detection and Notification System named MAD – which is similar to GM’s much heralded OnStar system for automobiles. Motorcyclists can now get quick help when in accidents! The device also features Lojack-like capabilities for tracking stolen motorcycles.
Team Captain: Adam Jackson, M.S. M.I.S.
Team Members: Jerome Mandel, M.S. M.I.S.
Nicoleta Cornea, M.S. M.I.S.
Shehan Peries, Certificate in entrepreneurship
Yrene Ordaz, Computer Engineering
Gerson Recinos, Computer Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr Andrew Hardin
Rype Censor Technologies, UNR
Rype Censor Technologies will provide for the instantaneous censorship of risqué acute; and offensive images as shown on live television, in movies, or streaming video. The censoring capabilities include image recognition without human intervention, more commonly referred to as computer vision technology.
Team Captain: Suzanne Martens, General
Team Members: Andrew Creaser, Business Marketing
Rory Pierce, Computer Science
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary Valiere
Scuba Solutions, UNLV
Scuba Solutions LLC, legally established in March 2011, is a Nevada-based company that provides superior scuba equipment to diving enthusiasts throughout the world. The company is also the winner of the 2011 Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition.
Team Captain: Griffin Owings, MBA
Team Members: Chris Powell, MBA
Alex Strabala, MBA
Curtis Weinstien, MBA
Sean Daly, Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisor: DR. Andrew Hardin
SEG, UNLV
SEG (Sports Entertainment Gear) will be the first company to distribute licensed illuminating merchandise to colleges and fans around the United States.
Team Captain: Travis Williams, MBA
Team Members: Brian Harge,
Skip Murphy, MBA
Faculty Advisor: DR. Janet Runge
SENSE.tech, UNR
Team Captain: York Smith, Chemical Engineering
Team Member: J. Dexter Ramsey, Business
Travis Anderson, Medical Student
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Mano Misra
TheVegasList, UNLV
A free social online checklist of travel worthy locations. Users browse through destinations within a city and check off past adventures and places they have visited. Most importantly they realize where they have yet to go, share experiences, and earn status and deals.
Team Captain: Dominique Remy, Curriculum Instruction
Team Members: Eric Mitsch, Elementary Education
Dominique Phukan, Elementary Education
Amanda Salazar, Elementary Education
Geoffrey Snead, English Comparative
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gita Taasoobshirazi
Undergraduate Finalists
Bumblebee Blooms, TMCC
Bumblebee Blooms Flower Boutique, LLC has created a unique marketing opportunity in the Reno/Sparks market as a retail florist. They are an expert in unique floral design that includes weddings, proms, and sympathy flowers, as well as offering unique plants, dish-gardens, gourmet chocolates and food baskets.
Team Captain: Katie Knapp, Culinary Arts/Business
Team Member: Naomi Cardy, Social work
Faculty Advisor: Ms. Jolene Hayes
Completely Off-Grid, UNR
Self Sufficient and Sustainable off-grid housing package
Team Captain: Vicki Bischoff, Psychology
Team Member: Eric Bischoff,
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary Valiere
Eighteen At Eighteen, UNLV
Eighteen At Eighteen is all about getting ahead…at 18. Our youth focused how-to guides will provide ways for teenagers to jumpstart their lives with simple, short, digital books straight from their Smartphone. Through our licensing program, entrepreneurs will be able to leverage our market presence with ease and affordability.
Team Captain: Anthony Alegrete, Marketing
Team Members: William Wong,
Nathan Turner, Finance
Claudia Perez, Management
Matt Petterson, Accounting
Jami Vallesteros, Economics
Faculty Advisor: DR. Janet Runge
Flats Energy, SNC
Roadside wind turbines that capitalize on wind energy from natural resources and augmented wind sources from passing vehicles.
Team Captain: Tresten Sweigard, Entrepreneurship
Team Member: Amanda Badger, Management and Entrepreneurship
Ryland Sweigard, Digital Art
Andrew Gendron, Ski Area and Resort Management
Faculty Advisor: MR. Rick Normington
Green Ethos Incorporated, TMCC
Green Ethos Incorporated will be melding several current green energy concepts in a matrix where a minimal of traditional external energy sources will be used. This matrix will create a solar powered evaporative water purification system that will be primarily available for wholesale to plumbing tradesmen and retail to the general public. Through this process Green Ethos wants to be the greenest choice possible for consumers purchasing water filtration systems not just from the point of manufacturing but for the total life cycle of the products.
Team Captain: Jasper Allen Jacobs, Marketing @ UNR
Team Member: David Jones, Information Systems @ TMCC
Faculty Advisor: Dean Marie Murgolo-Poore, Ph.d.
Postcom Energy, SNC
Postcom Energy is developing our initial product, the Bio Converter, which converts household waste into natural gas. Our product will be marketed towards homeowners and will drastically reduce their energy expenses. We are offering significant economic and environmental benefits for our customers, and a high ROI for investors.
Team Captain: Amanda Badger, Management
Team Member: Tresten Sweigard, Entrepreneurship
Faculty Advisor: Mr. Richard Normington
Lt. Governor’s Finalists
Alternative Bioprocess Solutions, UNR
Our business plan is to use pulsed electric fields as an alternate sanitation method to conventional heat pasteurization methods. This technology will initially be applied to the food processing, specifically dairy and juice pasteurization. There is potential to expand to other industries such as bio pharmaceuticals and beer/ wine production.
Team Captain: Cody Niggemyer, Chemical Engineering
Team Member: Robert Fyda, Chemical Engineering
Tommy Lavelle, Chemical Engineering
Keri Noack, Chemical Engineering
Nazrul Mojumder, Chemical Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Professor Alan Fuchs
Completely Off-Grid, UNR
Self Sufficient and Sustainable off-grid housing package
Team Captain: Vicki Bischoff, Psychology
Team Member: Eric Bischoff,
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary Valiere
GD Fuels LLC, UNR
GD Fuels LLC is an early stage startup company whose purpose is to create engineering solutions which make alternative fuels less expensive for producers and consumers. Our company has developed novel technology that will significantly revolutionize the Biodiesel Industry and allow for greater cost savings and profit margins for biodiesel producers.
Team Captain: Jason Strull, Material Sciences
Team Member: Adrian Testa, Economcis
Faculty Advisor: Professor Mano Misra
Home Energies Inc., UNR
Home Energies Inc. is a start up business that aims to design and implement a self contained septic system that will provide consumers with a renewable energy harvesting device and reduced maintenance costs.
Team Captain: Luke Feiler, Mechanical Engineering
Team Members: Randall Johnson, Mechanical Engineering
Isidro Lopez, Mechanical Engineering
Rudy Jarvis, Mechanical Engineering
Matthew Mareno, Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Emil Geiger
The Lady Luck Brewery, UNR
The Lady Luck Brewery is a proposed business venture for the Reno area. This business plan covers aspects of the proposed business venture such as a financial overview, product line, and marketing campaigns.
Team Captain: Vaughn Hartung, Chemical Engineering
Team Members: Paul Young, Business Management
Shaun Richardson, Chemical Engineering
Andrew Wilder, Chemical Engineering
Kirby Myers, Chemical Engineering
Nathan Roysden, Chemical Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Professor Alan Fuchs
Postcom Energy, SNC
Postcom Energy is developing our initial product, the Bio Converter, which converts household waste into natural gas. Our product will be marketed towards homeowners and will drastically reduce their energy expenses. We are offering significant economic and environmental benefits for our customers, and a high ROI for investors.
Team Captain: Amanda Badger, Management
Team Member: Tresten Sweigard, Entrepreneurship
Faculty Advisor: Mr. Richard Normington
