Cupid’s Cup 2016 | @UofMaryland @UnderArmour #KevinPlank

In completing my research on high growth ventures created by students the case of Kevin Plank (Under Armour) and the University of Maryland was part of my data collection and highlights many of the ideas uncovered. Cupid’s Cup, the annual business competition sponsored by Plank and Under Armour, completed its final round Thursday April 7 on the campus of the University of Maryland. (At the time of this post you could watch the event here)

As usual, the finals featured a passionate speech by Plank and an awesome, psyche up video by Under Armour. Plank’s message about Under Armour and his vision for Baltimore are big (backed by investment on the Baltimore waterfront — see the plans for Port Covington). I would not doubt this guy and his team. Btw, I must confess I bought Under Armour stock ($UA) a number of years ago and have been pleased with their performance.

The judges for the final round included Plank, Arianna Huffington, Dan Gilbert and Wes Moore — truly an accomplished group across a variety of fields/industries.

The 6 presenting finalists were – Javazen, Plova Chewing Gum, Wolf & Shepherd, MyBestBox, SixFoods and Headbands of Hope. The winner was Javazen – the hybrid green tea and coffee drink developed by students at the University of Maryland.

Headbands of Hope creates headbands for kids undergoing cancer treatment; mybestbox is a monthly subscription box promoting healthier lifestyles, Plova gum cleans your teeth between brushings, Six Foods makes bug chips that kids seem to like, and Wolf & Shepherd make dress shoes that perform like athletic shoes.

Nice diversity of ventures, all generating revenue and entering vibrant markets and making impact. Look for more from these teams. Coverage of the Kevin Plank’s Cupid Cup in the Balitmore Business Journal. For the official Cupid’s Cup website.

TerrAPPins: University of Maryland Contest Seeks Student-Developed Mobile Apps

A great mobile application (apps for iPhones, iPads, Droid, etc.) contest for students at the University of Maryland. Its awesome to see various schools and departments working together to give students entrepreneurial experiences. By Priya Kumar:

Last semester, University of Maryland students received academic credit for creating iPhone apps. Now any tech-savvy team of students that wants to get in on the app market can get something better: cash.

In its latest effort to examine the intersection of mobile technology and education, the university is launching a contest for students to design an app that “supports campus life.” The first-place team wins $3,000, two runner-ups get $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, and all winners have a chance to market their apps.

The contest represents a way to “harness our campus community’s broad creativity,” says Ben Bederson, contest chair and assistant professor of computer science. He served as director for the Human Computer Interaction Lab on campus from 2000-2006.

The contest is part of a mobility initiative the university launched in Fall 2008 to explore the impact of handheld wireless devices on education. Through the program, the university has given pilot groups of freshmen an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad and helped develop a new cell phone emergency alert system.

 

 

via Calling all TerrAPPins: University of Maryland Contest seeks student-developed mobile apps :: University Communications Newsdesk, University of Maryland.

Research on Under Armour and Kevin Plank

My regular readers know that I have been research student entrepreneurs and various other elements of entrepreneurship on campus for a number of years. Often times looking at cases of students and their firms.

I am pleased to let you all know that I have a new blog focused on one particular case of a student launching a high impact, high growth venture from the campus. The case is Kevin Plank, his company is

A snapshot of the Under Armour logo outside of the Under Armour store at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD.

Under Armour, and he conceived of, launched, and initially funded the firm while he was a student-athlete at the University of Maryland. I sometimes like to refer to Under Armour as Plank’s House.

The new blog is called Under Armour Files and it is dedicated to exploring and understanding the story of Kevin Plank, the University of Maryland and Under Armour Inc.  Hope you all  check it out and let me know what you think. All feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Great Video Speech of Kevin Plank of Under Armour

This video of a speech that Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, gave at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in October of 2008. (hat tip MBAs Portal out of India — looks like an agreggator of some sort).

This is a long video, but worth watching. Great hearing him discuss how he came up with the idea as a Sr. at the University of Maryland. Fun stories and insights in this video.

U of Maryland Team Announced as Finalist in Global Security Challenge

There is some serious money at stake in the Global Security Challenge. From a recent press release out of the University of Maryland,

TRX Systems Inc., a company in the University of Maryland Technology Advancement Program (TAP) venture incubator and a leader in breakthrough technologies in first responder and rescuer indoor tracking, has been selected as a finalist in the Global Security Challenge (GSC) 2008 worldwide competition, university officials announce today.

TRX, founded by Gilmer Blankenship, professor and associate chairman of the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s department of electrical and computer engineering, was selected from among five American semifinalists. Six finalists from around the world will compete for a $500,000 grand prize at the London Business School on November 13, 2008.

Clearly there is some pretty serious technologies involved in this venture, but it underscores the incredible assets — from talent and competitions to incubators and administrative support — that can be found on many campus. As usual, it is up to the entrepreneur to put it all together.