SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
With a record number of entries to the 7th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, three graduate and three undergraduate teams were honored by Lt. Governor Brian K. Krollcki and named as the competition’s winners at the Governor’s Cup Awards Gala at the Atlantis Hotel in Reno. The Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET) awarded nearly $100,000 dollars in prize money during the Gala’s festivities. In addition to the competition winners, a special Lt. Governor’s Award of $5,000, sponsored by NV Energy, was presented to the plan that best employed clean, renewable or efficient energy technologies and services.
Competition finalists included teams from the University of Nevada, Reno, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Truckee Meadows Community College and Sierra Nevada College. Winners are as follows (details are below):
- First place in the graduate division and the $20,000 prize went to “Scuba Solutions LLC” from UNLV, 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.
- UNLV “Eighteen At Eighteen” took first place in the undergraduate division and the $20,000 prize for their plan to create youth focused how-to guides that provide ways for teenagers to jumpstart their lives with simple, short, digital books straight from their Smartphone.
- Second place in the graduate division and the $10,000 prize went to UNLV’s “Rebel Technology Associates” and its 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.
- UNR’s “Completely Off-Grid” took second place in the undergradtuate division and the $10,000 prize for their plan to produce pre-cut, partially assembled, and uniquely designed homes.
- UNR’s “SENSE.tech” took third place in the graduate division and the $5,000 prize for their innovative business plan with the ultimate goal of finding a technological solution for point of care (POC) detection of tuberculosis (TB).
- Third place in the undergraduate division and the $5,000 prize went to TMCC’s “Bumblebee Blooms Flower Boutique, LLC” for its business plan to offer expertise in unique floral design that includes weddings, proms, and sympathy flowers, as well as offering unique plants, dish-gardens, gourmet chocolates and food baskets.
- “GD Fuels LLC” from UNR won the Lt. Governor’s award and $5,000 for their plan to create engineering solutions, which make alternative fuels less expensive for producers and consumers.
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 received feedback and guidance from Nevada’s business community.
For more information, please contact Dave Archer at [email protected] or (775) 315-7635.
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:
Governor’s Cup – Graduate Winners
First Place – $20,000
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
Second Place – $10,000
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
Third Place – $5,000
SENSE.tech, UNR
SENSE.tech is an innovative organization with the ultimate goal of finding a technological solution for point of care (POC) detection of tuberculosis (TB). We have developed a sensor material capable of detecting TB instantly via a handheld breathalyzer device system. Our system can also easily be amended to detect other pathogens of interest.”
Team Captain: York Smith, Chemical Engineering
Team Member:
J. Dexter Ramsey, Business
Travis Anderson, Medical Student
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mano Misra
Governor’s Cup – Undergraduate Winners
First Place – $20,000
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
Second Place – $10,000
Completely Off-Grid, UNR
Completely Off-Grid is a Reno Nevada manufacturing company producing pre-cut, partially assembled, and uniquely designed homes. These cost effective, permanent, complete off-grid packages, are a self-sufficient, energy producing, efficiently designed living space; easily assembled anywhere. If you desire or require an independent lifestyle, you will find living Completely Off-Grid completely joyful!
Team Captain: Vicki Bischoff, Psychology
Team Member:
Eric Bischoff, International Affairs
Pete Whitehead, Economics and International Business
Jeff Punya Computer Science
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gary Valiere
Third Place – $5,000
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
Lt. Governor’s Award Winner – $5,000
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: Dr. Mano Misra
