Check Out What's New @ MPowered

Heads Up! MPowered is Launching a New Website at Beginning of September

2010-08-23T03:11:00.001-04:00

Currently the Tech Team is working on developing a new website for MPowered Entrepreneurship. Come back to visit us again during beginning of September when we launch the new website!

U-M student, founder of baby clothes network, named finalist for College Entrepreneur of the Year

2010-08-10T03:23:00.002-04:00

Allen Kim, founder of Bebaroo.com and a student in the University of Michigan Department of Industrial Operations and Engineering, is one of five finalists in the running to become Entrepreneur magazine's 2010 College Entrepreneur of the Year! Please check out the University's article about him. Also check out Bebaroo.com to learn more about this baby clothes network!

Job Opportunities: Start-Up Opportunity

2010-04-19T14:27:00.002-04:00

Danny Bin, a graduating senior from University of Michigan's School of Literature, Science and Arts, is looking for entrepreneurial minded engineers
with web design/programming background to join him in launching a new business. There will be a potential payout towards end of summer. Depending on the individual's contribution and commitment, this individual can possibly become the co-founder of the company.

For more information, please contact Danny at dannybin@umich.edu or (917) 292-8318.

Job Opportunity 2: Urban.ag

2010-04-16T01:57:00.003-04:00

Join Urban.ag this summer for Momentum Incubator.
Web Developer/Designer Needed

Urban.ag, an online community for urban gardeners to learn, share, and be inspired, is seeking an intern to join its team for the summer. The intern will play a lead role in crafting, coding, and bringing to life a social and user-driven site that targets the needs of young urban gardeners. This paid position will be located in Zeeland, MI and last 12 weeks and is part of the Momentum, a nation-wide competition to find the best web-based business ideas and incubate them with seed capital and technical support in Michigan.
We are looking for a self-directed and motivated person who would thrive in a start-up environment and can take significant ownership in driving the technical development for urban.ag. Specifically, we are looking for an individual who has:

- Previous experience with web design and web application development
- Front-End Skills: HTML, CSS, AJAX
- Backend Development Skills: Linux, Apache, MySql, PHP
- Good design taste
- Mobile/Facebook application development experience a plus
- An interest in gardening and food systems a plus

Benefits include: $5000 stipend, first-hand experience in an incubator and setting up a company, experienced team with Google/Amazon experience, networking with other web entrepreneurs, and significant responsibilities.

If interested, please contact Matthew Neagle (mneagle@umich.edu) and Dan Cantor (dancan@umich.edu)

Job Opportunity 1

2010-04-16T01:51:00.003-04:00

The ideal candidate is fluent in PHP, MySQL, javascript, CSS, knows MVC through CodeIgniter or similar framework, and can use SVN. Linux skills are nice to have. We like young, flexible, entrepreneurial candidates, than are fun, passionate, and can adapt to circumstances (ie, the possibility of being admitted to a 3-mo mentorship/incubator program in a major city in the US).

A more thorough description is as follows -

Developer / Product Manager

Attention to Detail
Focus on Architecture and Performance
Big Picture View
Ability to Manage other Developers
Clear Business Communication
Ability to Asses Project Status and Report Status Clearly
Identify Project Risks and Ask for Assistance or Feedback
Develop Product as it Relates to Customer Needs

Will primarily interact with Business Manager and other Developers.

Required Technical Skills

Experience with PHPCodeigniter Framework or similar (CakePHP, Zend, Symfony, Kohana)
Database Design and Management
Performance Metric Tracking and Analysis
Automated Unit Testing
SVN
Continuous Deployment Concepts and Agile Programming Techniques
E-Commerce good to have
Internet Security including SSL good to have

Please send resume + intro email ASAP to Mo at msyehia@gmail.com.

Yuri's Night 2010: Ann Arbor

2010-04-14T13:35:00.002-04:00

April 14, 2010. Doors open at 9 PM
The Necto, 516 East Liberty, Ann Arbor

Yuri's Night - a worldwide holiday commemorating the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, and his historic flight on April 12th, 1961. Yuri's Night - a celebration of the spirit of human space exploration and the advance of human technology. This will not be your typical night at Necto - expect engineers, scientists, space cadets, and dance enthusiasts to fill the floor and the MEDMA's space-y sound to fill your ears. Brought to you by the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, the Michigan Electronic Dance Music Association (MEDMA), and the Russian Student Association (RSA).

For more information please email yurisnight2010@umich.edu.

2010 US-China Media Symposium

2010-04-08T21:23:00.003-04:00

April 13, 2010, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Colloquim Room (6th Floor), Ross School of Business

The 2010 US-China Media Symposium aims to facilitate mutual learning between media groups from China and the US on advertising and market development. Entrepreneurs from leading businesses in China's media and advertising industries will come to University of Michigan to initiate an exchange between media practitioners, scholars and entrepreneurs from both countries. The symposium will include keynote speeches on new media in China and the US.

If you are interested, please visit here for more details.

Michigan Economics Society's "Keeping It Local" Series: Christine Gibbons

2010-03-30T19:03:00.003-04:00

March 31, 2010, 7:00-8:00 PM
CHEM 1300

Christine Gibbons, President and COO of HistoSonics, an Ann Arbor based company, will be speaking about Venture Capital and the role it has played in HistoSonics' growth. She has more than twenty-five years of financial management, fundraising and operating experience. Christine has also been involved with several technology-driven companies, both as an investor and part of a management team.

HistoSonics' exciting new technology, developed at the University of Michigan, uses ultrasound energy to safely and effectively remove tumors without incisions. This technology has the potential to replace traditional surgical procedures for conditions such as BPH and prostate cancer, lower healthcare costs significantly and reduce patient trauma.

If you are interested in this event, please RSVP to Jessica Bertolina at jberto@umich.edu. Free Jimmy Johns will be provided at this event.

Creative Entrepreneurship Panel at UMMA: From Ideas to Success

2010-03-29T21:14:00.002-04:00

April 13, 2010, 7:00-8:30 PM
University of Michigan Museum of Art

The Creative Entrepreneurship Panel invites all aspiring entrepreneurs to listen, learn, and inquire about how to translate their creativity into a sustainable, marketable venture. The speakers, all recent alumni, include

Jerry Kozak, BBA '08: Owner of Wolverine T-shirt Company

David Landau, RC '08: CEO of Elysium Contracting; Founder of Tribbio Studio for Artistic Success

Moses Lee, BBA '02: Managing Editor, Next Billion; Marketing Manager, William Davidson Institute; Lecturer, Center for Entrepreneurship; former Ernst & Young employee

Bobby Matson, BBA '10: Owner of MyBandStock.com; a ZLI Dare to Dream grant winner; recently featured in the Michigan Daily

Please join us on April 13, 7:00-8:30 PM, at the University of Michigan Museum of Art for this exciting event!

Lauren Leland: Student of the Year

2010-03-25T00:46:00.001-04:00

The Michigan Daily released on its March 24, 2010 issue of The Statement an article called "Students of the Year." Lauren Leland, President of MPowered Entrepreneurship, was selected along with nine other students out of all of the undergraduates studying at University of Michigan. Please read the Daily article for full coverage of Lauren Leland and her story about entrepreneurship.

Congratulations to Lauren Leland!

I am Free Enterprise Video Contest

2010-03-22T10:04:00.004-04:00

The US Chamber of Commerce’s American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign recently launched the I am Free Enterprise Video Contest.

Open to all US residents 18 and older, the contest identifies and honors champions of free enterprise by awarding $100,000 in cash prizes to three aspiring or established entrepreneurs who create a video and explain in the most compelling way – “This is what Free Enterprise means to me.”

It’s easy to enter – simply shoot a 3-minute video explaining what free enterprise means to you and submit it to the contest by April 9, 2010 at 6pm EDT. Viewership is critical. In order for a video to be considered for the next round, it must be in the top 25 viewed videos in the contest.

The American public will vote for their favorite finalist at www.FreeEnterprise.com beginning Monday, May 10, through Wednesday, June 2, when the video contest winners will be decided.

For more information, please go to www.freeenterprise.com/video.

Guest speaker and Michigan alum Arnot Heller

2010-03-18T00:38:00.001-04:00

This Thursday from 6-7 PM in 1200 EECS, SGE is hosting guest speaker and Michigan alum Arnot Heller. Mr Heller is owner of the global screw manufacturing company, Central Screw Products. He will be speaking about the differences between the structure of engineering and the dynamic environment of being an entrepreneur and how both affect his company in the global business environment.

Congratulations to MPowered Entrepreneurship

2010-03-18T00:29:00.006-04:00

Each year the entire campus is invited to nominate the students, advisors, programs, and student organizations that have added to the rich and vibrant community on campus for the Michigan Leadership Awards. MPowered Entrepreneurship was nominated and has won three of the seven awards – Outstanding Student Organization, Program of the Year, and Advisory of the Year! The Outstanding Student Organization Award recognizes student organizations that have demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity, and perseverance and have made a meaningful contribution to students, the University and/or the surrounding communities. The Program of the Year Award, which is given to MPowered’s 1,000 Pitches, recognizes student organization programs that have enhanced the University community and demonstrated the institutional values of diversity, integrity, and initiative. Last of all, MPowered's advisor, Thomas Zurbuchen, was recognized as 2010 Recipient of the Advisor of the Year Award for his continuous involvement and support of MPowered and for his efforts to further the organization's growth and success.

If you would like to help us celebrate, the Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 1st (it's not a joke!) at 4PM in the Michigan Union Ballroom. Congratulations to MPowered!

Mobile Monday - Monetizing free iPhone/Android apps with Tapjoy

2009-11-21T12:43:00.001-05:00

a2newtech is hosting Mobile Monday, and is pleased to welcome Ben Lewis - cofounder of Tapjoy, a mobile app monetization platform featuring ad aggregation/optimization and virtual goods payments recently featured in TechCrunch ("Has Tapjoy solved monetization of free apps on the iPhone and Android?").

Ben is a UM alum (CE '01, MBA '05) and 4-year Google veteran who will be speaking about his experiences as an entrepreneur, some of the pros/cons of the iPhone/Android markets, what he's learned about monetization, raising capital, and the history of Tapjoy. Read more.

MIT Enterprise Forum and GLEQ: Intellectual Property 12/1

2009-11-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

You’re heading a technology company and you realize that your product has some great potential. You suddenly realize that you don’t have anything in place to protect your idea and your intellectual property. A little bit of research uncovers some options, some recommend copyrighting, non-disclosure agreements, others patenting and still other suggest varieties of licensing agreements. They all involve a fair amount of expense. You’ll learn key Strategic Intellectual Property Management Best Practices. More information here.

MPowered Mingle 'n' Match sponsored by CFE and ZLI

2009-11-14T14:46:00.002-05:00

Come out to MPowered's Mingle 'n' Match on Monday 11/16 at 4:30 in room R0320 at the Ross School of Business. Talk about ideas, find team members for competitions, or just come talk about entrepreneurship! Register here.

Global Entrepreneurship Week 11/16 - 11/20

2009-11-12T17:02:00.001-05:00

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a recent addition to MPowered’s comprehensive lineup of new initiatives that encourage the entrepreneurial mindset. The five day series of events will primarily consist of entrepreneurially minded speakers and Diag Day, in which student organizations present how they promote entrepreneurship along with chances for students to win prizes. Check out the weeks events on the calendar

TechArb establishes permanent student business incubator

2009-11-09T17:18:00.001-05:00

The U-M Center for Entrepreneurship, part of the College of Engineering, has collaborated with various partners at the University to establish TechArb, the new business accelerator designed specifically for student-led companies and some other startups affiliated. The university is finalizing details of an agreement to house the incubator in a 2,600-square-foot office at McKinley Inc.'s McKinley Towne Centre in downtown Ann Arbor. Full article here

Mobile Monday

2009-11-09T12:44:00.002-05:00

Come out this Monday on November 9th to hear Karl Rosaen talk about the new 1.5 and 2.0 features of the new Motorola DROID. Anyone interested in mobile development, new technology, and slick new gadgets are welcome! Please visit the website for more information: www.a2newtech.org

1000 Pitches Competition in the Detroit Free Press

2009-11-07T15:36:00.002-05:00

Can these students' inventions save Michigan?
We've all got them -- those ideas that we know, just know, would make a fortune if we could get them to a store shelf. Now, some University of Michigan students are hoping to tap into that genius. MPowered Entrepreneurship is challenging students to make their pitches -- whether for ideas they've mulled for years or an unexpected flash of brilliance. Read more

Ignite Ann Arbor 11/6 at 7pm Blau Auditorium

2009-11-04T23:37:00.003-05:00

If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Around the world geeks have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers.

It takes just one spark to Ignite a movement, change, or a way of thinking. Hosted by the Entrepreneurship Venture Club, Ignite Ann Arbor is a fast-paced series of talks sure to kindle new thoughts and inspire creative action. Check it out.

Social Venture Creation Course - Winter 2010

2009-11-04T23:29:00.002-05:00

Announcing a New Social Venture Creation Course at the University of Michigan open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

Class Time: Tu/Th 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Term: Winter 2010
Credits: 3
Course Number: ENG 490.009

Download the flyer.

Executive Consulting Opportunities with Charles Fry and Sonali Vijayavargiya - Nov 9th & 12th

2009-11-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

Charles Fry and Sonali Vijayavargiya, two friends of the Zell Lurie Institute, will be coming to RSB to meet with students to discuss business ideas or entrepreneurial concerns and offer guidance and suggestions for the next course of action. Both Charles and Sonali have extensive experience working with entrepreneurial companies.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, please respond to aperigo@umich.edu with your resume and a short description of your business or a description of the entrepreneurial concerns that you want to discuss. Please indicate the date for which you are seeking an appointment (Charles Fry on Monday, 11/9 or Sonali Vijayavargiya on Thursday, 11/12) and the appointment times that would work for your schedule on each of those days.

MIT Enterprise Forum and GLEQ Interactive Satellite Sites

2009-11-03T16:01:00.003-05:00

The Great Lakes Chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) and the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs' Quest (GLEQ) are pleased to offer the 2009-2010 Savvy Entrepreneur series. The series provides early to mid-stage technology entrepreneurs with guidance on key topics that all startups must navigate to realize success. Come out on Tuesday November 3rd from 6-9 pm to take part in this event. Cost is $10 for students, $40 for non-students. Register at www.gleq.org.

MPowered Mingle 'n' Match

2009-10-15T20:54:00.002-04:00

Come out to MPowered's Mingle 'n' Match on Thursday 10/22 at 4:30 in room R2220 at the new Business School building. Talk about ideas, find team members for competitions, or just come talk about entrepreneurship!

$100,000 DTE Clean Energy Prize Kick-off Event $100,000 DTE Clean Energy Prize Kick-off Event

2009-10-06T21:30:00.001-04:00

The DTE Clean Energy Prize is a multi-round competition during which teams pitch their businesses to panels of professionals serving as judges. All students who write a complete executive summary for their proposed business will compete in Round One of the CEP. Those that advance to Round Two, Semi-Finals, and Finals will write a marketing and financial overview for their company and finish a complete business plan. Teams interested in competing for the CEP must submit the Intent to Compete form and a three page executive summary by 8am on November 20, 2009.

Campus Kick-Off and Information Event:
·Stamps Auditorium on North Campus - October 9th from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
·Food and refreshments will be served

Launching Your Career in Space

2009-09-20T20:07:00.000-04:00

Launching Your Career in Space is a workshop by prominent space activist Loretta Whitesides targeted at anyone looking to pursue a career in the space industry, which encompasses engineers and space scientists as well as those interested in policy, politics, management, and entrepreneurship. The event takes place on Tuesday, October 6th, 6-8pm at the Boeing Auditorium, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Building on North Campus.

Mingle and Match

2009-09-13T13:40:00.002-04:00

The Zell Lurie Institute and the Center for Entrepreneurship are sponsoring a Mingle ‘n’ Match event on Monday, 9/21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Ross School of Business (R2320). MPowered, the Entrepreneur and Venture Club and NetImpact are co-hosting this event. Please also consider attending our two future Mingle ‘n’ Match sessions on Thursday, 10/22 at 4:30 (R2220) and Monday, 11/16 at 4:30 (R0320). The purpose of the event is to provide a venue for entrepreneurially minded students to find one another to discuss forming teams and combining efforts.

If you are interested in attending this free event and learning about the business ideas, please register here: http://www.bus.umich.edu/forms-uploads/zlireg/events_programs/mnreg06.asp Registration is not required but is appreciated.

Ann Arbor New Tech September Meetup

2009-09-07T15:18:00.002-04:00

a2geeks are organizing their first event of the school year. 5 presenters this month take the stage for 10 minutes each, with 5 minutes to demo and 5 minutes to answer questions, followed by open announcements and community networking.

For more information, click HERE

mtvU Movers and Changers - Offering Social Entrepreneurs a chance at $25,000

2009-08-26T10:34:00.002-04:00

Do you have a business idea that you think will make a difference AND make money?

mtvU and NYSE Euronext are teaming up to create a one of a kind, nationwide search for creative capitalists with promising, original business plans, called Movers and Changers.

The challenge: Submit a business plan that will do something positive for a community, the country, or the world, that will also be profitable and sustainable.

Three finalists will be flown to New York City to attend Global Entrepreneurship Week and present their plans to a panel of industry executives. The winner will receive 25 thousand dollars in cash to help his or her company start off on the right foot, and ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Find out more information HERE

The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation

2009-06-11T00:01:00.003-04:00

The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation was developed to inspire an innovator to continue the promotion of braille literacy for blind and deaf/blind people worldwide. The prize will grant $20,000 towards a new educational method, a new tactile literacy product, or a new technological advance in tactile literacy.

More information on the competition can be found HERE

Experts analyze stimulus, healthcare, and cross-border investing at ZLI conference.

2009-05-24T11:37:00.001-04:00

The annual two-day symposium, now in its 28th year, drew 375 participants to the Marriott Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti, Mich., on May 12 and 13. Seven panels addressed issues ranging from the impact of the stimulus package and government funding on investments to cross-border investing and syndication in Canada.

Read more about it Here

Congratulations to Husk Insulation, winner of the MIT Clean Energy Competition

2009-05-16T22:17:00.005-04:00

The MIT Clean Energy Prize competition is a national program focused on students to accelerate the pace of clean energy entrepreneurship. It provides capital resources and support to help the next generation of entrepreneurs jumpstart a business venture on an emerging clean energy innovation with significant market potential.

The MIT Clean Energy Prize has announced that Husk Insulation was selected from more than 100 student entries from 40 colleges and universities across the country to receive the $200,000 MIT Clean Energy Grand Prize sponsored by NSTAR and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Husk Insulation, from the University of Michigan, plays in the rapidly growing market for advanced insulation, part of the $7 billion U.S. insulation market. Husk's innovative and patented solution converts agricultural waste into cost-effective vacuum insulated panels, a type of high-grade insulation that delivers up to 10 times the insulative effectiveness of conventional insulation.

Read it all Here

Fall 09 Cleantech Entepreneurship Courses

2009-04-30T16:10:00.002-04:00

Two fall courses, ENG 521 and ES 520, will be offered in Fall 09. The first one is geared towards scientists and engineers without business background (ENG 521 – 14 weeks) and the second to those with business background (ES 520 – 6 weeks). In the first half of ENG 521 you learn entrepreneurial business fundamentals that you will apply in teams with MBAs after Fall break to real companies in the CleanTech space.

Finalists Announced for The St. Andrews Prize for the Environment

2009-04-27T14:09:00.004-04:00

The St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, held at the Univeristy of St. Andrews at Scotland, is an environmental initiative to help find practical solutions for environmental challenges around the globe.

Out of the 265 entries received, the following three finalists will be continue:

-River, Fibre and Power: Bringing lights and life to poor coconut farmers in remote areas
-Satellite images for conservation in developing countries
-The Seawater Greenhouse

Read more about it Here

Spine-tingling vest wins Feel the Music competition

2009-04-18T00:43:00.003-04:00

Team Thumping Threads won the Feel the Music competition by designing a vest that makes your spine tingle in response to sound waves! Devices like this aim to enhance the musical experience for the deaf and hearing-impaired, as well as for others.

Read more about it Here

Spark Summer Consultant Internship Positions

2009-04-16T17:37:00.001-04:00

Ann Arbor SPARK is looking for talented BBA’s, Engineers, or other business / tech-oriented students to join its team. SPARK Summer Consultants will work with a variety of local start-up technology businesses in the greater Ann Arbor area on various project-based consulting engagements.

The goal is to build a high-performing team of talented students who will make a real impact on the start-up community in Southeast Michigan.

These positions are unpaid. Interested students should contact Jacob Cohen (jdcohen@umich.edu) to arrange for an interview.

EECS Student Project Expo

2009-04-14T16:55:00.000-04:00

Come support your fellow EECS students at the EECS Student Project Expo, on Tuesday 4/14/09 6:30-8:30pm in 1670 CSE. Students from EECS will be presenting projects that they have worked on throughout the school year, this will be followed by a mingle session where you can meet the presenting students and ask them questions.

Food will be provided!

Business School entrepreneurs compete to win $50,000

2009-04-10T13:43:00.003-04:00

Hosted by University of Oregon's Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, this year two Business School students - Andrew Charnik and Jeffrey Richman - are tackling the website challenge which would help lesser known bands and smaller concerts gain exposure online.

Read more about it at the Daily Here

April Ann Arbor Startup Drinks Event

2009-04-09T12:39:00.002-04:00

Come to the Grizzly Peak bar on Main St. Thursday, April 16th, from 8:00 to 10:00 pm and discuss your ideas, what you are working on, and how everyone can help each other meet their goals.

Congratulations to Ashwin Lalendran for Student of the Year!

2009-04-08T11:47:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Ashwin Lalendran, co-founder and ex-president of MPowered Entrepreneurship for being selected as a student of the year!

Read the Daily Article HERE

Entrepreneurial Speed Dating

2009-04-05T16:56:00.003-04:00

Entrepreneurial Speed Dating
When: Friday, April 10 2-4:00pm
Where: Duderstadt room 1180

MPowered will be hosting an Entrepreneurial Speed Dating event which will give University of Michigan student ventures a chance to meet venture capitalists, lawyers, seasoned entrepreneurs, and other student ventures to come and learn more about entrepreneurship.

And of course, food and drinks will be provided!

CloudCamp at Google

2009-04-04T12:57:00.004-04:00

When: Thursday, April 9th 3-8pm
Where: Google Offices in Ann Arbor (201 S. Division St)

The general themes will be cloud computing technologies and applications built on open data sources, but since it is an unconference the exact topics will be whatever the attendees want to talk about. Attendance is free, but RSVPs are needed since the Google office space has a limited capacity.

RSVP HERE

SEDS to host a Yuri's Night event

2009-04-02T17:48:00.002-04:00

Yuri's Night at the University of Michigan
When: Tuesday, April 14th, 7-10pm
Where: Rackham Auditorium

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) at the University of Michigan is celebrating Yuri's Night, a worldwide holiday commemorating the first human in space, with a documentary showing, mix & mingle event/dinner, and talk on the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Representatives from student groups with interests in space and entrepreneurship will be available for conversation during the following mix & mingle event, during which food and drinks will be served.

2009 Entreprelliance Conference Hosts ePrize, Pandora, and Ashoka

2009-03-29T13:43:00.003-04:00

The 2009 Entreprelliance conference, held at the University of Michigan this past weekend, was a great success! Thanks again to Josh Linkner of ePrize, Tim Westergren of Pandora, and Joseph Williams of Ashoka for speaking and to the students for showing your support and making Entrepreneurship Hour a packed house! Check out the Daily article HERE

Spark Capital offers opportunities to entrepreneurs

2009-03-25T11:38:00.002-04:00

If you are an early stage entrepreneur and require funding for your new business, Spark Capital's new program, Start@Spark, will be offering opportunities for bold entrepreneurs to attain seed funding for their new projects!

More information can be found HERE

Creating Mybandstock.com Presentation

2009-03-24T20:07:00.002-04:00

MPowered Entrepreneurship and The School of Music, Theatre and Dance Present:
Creating Mybandstock.com and a Student Run Business
By: Drew Leahy, Bobby Matson and John-Michael Fischer
When: March 26th, 2009 from 2:30-4p
Location: Duderstadt Center, 133 Chrysler

Mybandstock.com is home to The Music RevolutionTM, an online community that
sells exclusive access to artists in the form of virtual shares. The presentation will cover the founders' approach to creating and marketing Mybandstock.com, as well as what you need to start a student run business.

Contest - Free $1000 Startup Pitch Slot at NYC’s BootStrapper Summit

2009-03-19T11:58:00.001-04:00

Do you want to present your startup to investors representing over $5 billion in investment capital?

ChubbyBrain is pleased to announce that they are sponsoring one startup for a complimentary presentation slot at the upcoming BootStrapper Summit to be held in New York City on April 1st.

Read more about it: HERE ,

Women's Luncheon in Entrepreneurship

2009-03-18T16:56:00.000-04:00

Do you want to learn more about entrepreneurship and be a part of this vibrant and growing community? Are you interested in being involved with entrepreneurial events on campus? Do you want to meet other women who are interested in entrepreneurship? Then please join the Women in Engineering office on Thursday, March 26th 11:30am-1pm for a Women's Entrepreneurship luncheon.

At this luncheon, Rosa Abani and Annie Griffin, two College of Engineering students, will discuss plans their plans to organize a Women in Entrepreneurship speaker series for the Fall 2009 term. Students will have the opportunity to brainstorm ideas and even find out how to get involved with organizing! Additionally, we will discuss Social Entrepreneurship, the practice of using entrepreneurial principles to solve a social problem. We will talk about some College of Engineering student organizations that focus on social entrepreneurship and how you can get involved.

Please register at:
http://www.engin.umich.edu/wie/

President Mary Sue Coleman and MPowered Entrepreneurship

2009-03-16T19:56:00.004-04:00

On March, 15 2009 at the Hill Auditorium during the 86th annual Honors Convocation, President Mary Sue Coleman addressed MPowered Entrepreneurship during her speech. Also, congratulations to Adam, Chris, Allie, and Gaurang!

Read it all HERE

Bootstrapping a Business in Today's Economy

2009-03-15T17:05:00.001-04:00

On April 2nd, prepare to have all your business questions answered. If you feel knowledge is holding you back in your business, keeping you from driving more sales, lowering your costs, creating new products, or marketing your current ones, this is the premier event for you. We've assembled a panel of 5 individuals, but not just any panel of 5. We've brought together 5 experts in 5 industries: marketing, accounting, law, management, and entrepreneurship, for a no-holds barred, gloves off, let's get right to the bottom of the barrel, question and answer session, that will be the most valuable two hours of your life. AND - we'll begin the first twenty minutes with a top-notch keynote speaker from our local community! Networking after. Parking will be extremely limited, please park acrsos the street at the WCC main campus. All welcome!
FREE ATTENDANCE and food is provided!
Host: Student Entrepreneurs Zone
When: Thursday April 2nd, 4 - 6 PM (6 - 8 open networking),
Where: The Brand New WCC Health & Fitness Center: Both Conference Rooms (4833 East Huron River Dr.)
Note: Please park across the street at the WCC Campus because parking is extremely limited.

DTE Energy Clean Energy Prize Competition

2009-03-10T21:39:00.001-04:00

The Clean Energy Prize is a new addition to the Michigan Business Challenge, the University-wide business plan competition. The Clean Energy Prize was launched at U-M through the Office for the Vice President for Research to help move clean energy technologies and ideas from the laboratory to commercial production. DTE Energy established the prize and is joined by founding sponsor, Masco.

1-3 pm: Business Plan Presentations by three finalist teams

3:30 – 4:30 pm: Awards Ceremony, Stamps Auditorium, Walgreen Drama Center, North Campus

Three-minute Quick Pitch by finalists
Stephen Forrest, Vice President for Research, U-M
Gerry Anderson, President and Chief Operating Officer, DTE Energy

Engineering Design, Lean Manufacturing and Innovation Seminar

2009-03-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

Bart Huthwaite will be coming to North Campus on Tuesday, March 17. During the day, he will be visiting classrooms, talking to faculty and then speak in Chesebrough Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. The topic of his talk will be "The Engineer's Emerging Role in Business Model Innovation." Sponsored by the ME Department, BLUElab, and the CFE.

Great Opportunity offered by DreamIt Ventures

2009-03-08T12:28:00.003-04:00

DreamIt Ventures is offering an opportunity for people with ideas to build their own companies. It runs an intense 3 month program during which time they provide you and your team with seed funding, mentors, office space, a startup community, great contacts to potential investors and partners and many other benefits.

Application Deadline: March 16

More information HERE

Want to be a CFE Peer Advisor?

2009-03-08T00:02:00.001-05:00

Applications will be accepted starting Wednesday, March 11 and deadline for submission will be March 27. Look for the link on the CFE website. http://cfe.engin.umich.edu/

Social Entrepreneurship Contest

2009-03-05T17:18:00.001-05:00

Nominate a U-M Alum who is a successful social entrepreneur and win $1000. Top three student entries will each win $1000.

Submit an online nomination (less than 1000 words) by March 12 to SocialEntrepreneurshipContest.com. All current U-M students are eligible to nominate a social entrepreneur. Judging will be based on the social entrepreneur’s endeavor (scope, duration, impact, innovation) and the quality of the nomination (quality, completeness, creativity).

MPowered Connect: Social Entrepreneurship

2009-03-04T13:15:00.004-05:00

Come to MPowered Connect to network with students from across the university. This event's theme is social entrepreneurship, bringing various socially minded engineering organizations, business students, and entrepreneurs together for mingling and team building. The event is Thursday, March 5 at 5:00pm BTB Cantina, 1140 South University. If you have a team and would like to make a quick pitch, please register here.

Top Investor of Electric Car Technology to Speak at U of M

2009-03-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

Michael Granoff, head of Oil Independence Policies for Better Place, will be coming to Ann Arbor to speak about his experience with the developing company Better Place. Better Place is an innovative company striving to fully integrate zero-emission electric cars into the automotive industry, greatly reducing our dependence on oil. He will present a keynote speech on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Rackham 4th Floor Amphitheater. The speech will be titled, "How to Get a Country Off Oil: Making Zero-Emission Electronic Vehicles Powered By Renewable Energy A Reality."

Three finalists for the DTE Clean Energy Prize announced

2009-03-03T14:12:00.004-05:00

Algal Scientific - Turn-key water treatment systems that combine wastewater treatment with biofuel production using algal growth bioreactors and proprietary processing technology.
Husk - Convert agricultural waste into thin, high-grade insulation for the refrigeration industry that delivers a significant improvement over conventional, petroleum-based insulation.
Ikanos Power - Flexible fuel electricity generation products for use in military, trucking, and distributed power markets.

The competition began with 23 teams, each with a connection to the University of Michigan. The three finalists and the fourth place team have gone through three rounds of judging as part of the Michigan Business Challenge, the university-wide business plan competition.

Read more about it: WWJ RADIO , PR News Wire

Summer @ Highland 2009

2009-02-14T21:31:00.003-05:00

Are you a student entrepreneur with a business startup that you'd like to grow to the next level this summer? If so, the Summer@Highland 2009 program may be just what you need.

In its third year, Summer@Highland is designed to provide selected student entrepreneurs with the environment and resources for advancing their startup initiative/company to the next level. Participating entrepreneurs/teams will receive a financial stipend and complimentary work space in either our Lexington, Massachusetts or Menlo Park, California office. The teams will have access to Highland investment professionals along with further resources for injecting real-world advice, insight and perspectives into the entrepreneurial and company-building process. Full details on this year's program and an application form can be found HERE

Join a conversation about Serious games, Simulations and Natural Learning

2009-02-09T23:26:00.008-05:00

265 Chrysler Center, North Campus, Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. FREE FOOD

Flight simulators, prediction markets, virtual reality, medical training, land use planning, business and more, more, more. Games work, simulations work. Where are they at the University? Who's using them, creating them and why? Join Ken Ludwig, Gary Witus and John Umbaugh to meet others interested in serious games and simulations. Whether you are programmers, designers, content providers or users join us for food and talk about these fascinating creations that are in use in many places around the world-from playgrounds to the Pentagon.

New UM Program Seeks Research Aid From Small Biz

2009-02-09T23:23:00.003-05:00

The University of Michigan and its College of Engineering are working together to engage local small businesses and help them establish research partnerships with faculty and students. The Innovation Program gives financial incentives to small businesses in Michigan to collaborate with the University on research projects. In the first year of the program, the college and vice president for research's office will match $30,000 of support and waive indirect costs for five projects.

-Read more about it at WWJ

MPowered Inspired Student Entrepeneur Takes Idea to City Council

2009-02-03T11:21:00.003-05:00

LSA freshman Alex Levine has a plan to give a greener fate to the sea of red plastic cups that layer the city’s streets after every home football game. Levine is working with the Ann Arbor City Council to enable the city to include polystyrene, or No. 6 plastic in its current recycling code.

Levine thought of the idea after entering the 1000 Pitches Competition through MPowered Entrepreneurship, a University group that exposes students to entrepreneurial opportunities. He entered the “Green Campus” category because he thought the city accumulated too much waste. After becoming a finalist for the “Green Campus” category, Levine felt confident enough to pitch his idea to City Council.

>> Read more about Alex in the Michigan Daily

2009 Dell Social Innovation Competition

2009-02-03T11:18:00.002-05:00

Dream up a plan that combines creativity and innovation to tackle a pressing social issue, and you can win $50,000 to put your plan into action! Students from all over the world are invited to create change at home, or anywhere in the world, with a social innovation designed to tackle a social problem and help every human reach their fullest potential. There is no limit to the imagination and any significant social issue can be addressed in this competition. One winner is chosen and awarded $50,000 as seed funding to launch their venture.

>> Check out the competition here

Investing in the Environment: Green Venture Capital

2009-02-02T20:19:00.000-05:00

Are you interested in green technology? Looking for ways to combine a sustainable energy with a sustainable business model? Then come to “Investing in the Environment: Green Venture Capital” on February 3 from 6:00-7:30 in room 1040 in the Dana Building (School of Natural Resources). Kevin Wittrup, a Managing Director at MacBeedon Partners will be speaking about his experience with startups in the fields of alternative energy and green technology. He will also discuss entrepreneurship in Michigan in general.

MPOWERED LAUNCHES GEAR SHOP

2009-02-02T17:25:00.004-05:00

MPowered launches the MPOWERED GEAR SHOP. It's a great way to support the entrepreneurial community here on campus! Your purchase will help MPowered achieve our mission and allow us to continue to put on amazing events that foster entrepreneurship. Come check it out!

>> MPowered Gear Shop

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS MPOWERED'S 1000PITCHES COMPETITION!

2009-02-02T17:25:00.003-05:00

"..And you will lead, because you will bring a fresh perspective to the challenges we face. This entrepreneurial spirit showed its power this past semester with a competition we called 1,000 Pitches. This was a campus-wide initiative to generate 1,000 new business proposals from students like you who are eager to share your ideas and discoveries.."

>> 2008 Winter Commencement Address

MPOWERED LAUNCHES BLOG AND CHAT RESOURCES

2009-02-02T17:24:00.003-05:00

MPowered launches two new resources, the MPowered Blogs and Chat. Tune in with the MPowered Blogs with frequent new episodes on how you can make your start-up successful or develop your leadership skills for the business world. MPowered wants to make asking questions easy. Therefore, throughout the week, students can go to our MPowered Chat and have their start-up questions answered. Each day will focus on a different theme to keep things interesting.

>> Check out our Chat Themes

LIVE: GREEN 2009 Sustainable Housing Design Competition presented by BLUElab

2009-02-02T17:19:00.003-05:00

The LiveGreen 2009 Sustainable Housing Design Competition is calling for students in groups of at least 3 people from different schools and colleges (i.e. College of Engineering, Business School, and School of Information) to put together a design plan for a completely off-the-grid house. Incentives include: $10,000 in cash prizes. Top 6 winning teams will have their designs displayed at the Greening the Heartland event at Cobo in May (www.greeningtheheartland.org) The winning team will have a paid opportunity to have their house built and displayed across the nation

>> Visit http://www.sitemaker.umich.edu/livegreen for more information.

QUICK PITCH COMPETITION

2009-01-20T16:28:00.007-05:00

Practice your pitch while getting feedback from experienced local VCs and entrepreneurs. Teams will be judged on their “elevator pitch” as well as business plan executive summary. Cash prizes of $750 for the winning team, $500 for the runners up, $250 for third place. The winning team will be automatically accepted in the national Elevator Pitch competition at Wake Forest on March 27-28.

>> Apply: send a 4 page executive summary to quickpitch@umich.edu by noon on January 19.
>> Visit www.evc-ross.com for more information.

MPOWERED JOINS YOUNOODLE

2009-01-20T16:28:00.006-05:00

MPowered Entrepreneurship recently joined YouNoodle, a nationwide network of professional, student, and group entrepreneurs. YouNoodle is a place to discover and support the hottest early-stage companies and university innovation. We encourage you to sign up in our MPowered group and begin networking with other University of Michigan students as well as the rest of the entrepreneurial nation.

>> Join MPowered on YouNoodle

2009 BAY AREA ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRIP

2009-01-20T16:28:00.001-05:00

The University of Michigan is sponsoring an annual two-day Bay Area trip February 26-27, 2009, connecting you with Michigan alumni entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Students are given the opportunity to pitch business ideas to and/or network with seasoned entrepreneurial alumni, venture capitalists and get constructive feedback.

>> Apply: Contact aileenhs@umich.edu for more information. You can also go to the Center for Entrepreneurship office (251 Chyrsler).

SOPOGY'S INNOVATIVE SOPOAPPS CONTEST TACKLES GLOBAL PROBLEMS

2009-01-20T16:19:00.001-05:00

Design applications using MicroCSP solar technology and win up to $50,000 Cash. Project Packages must be uploaded to www.sopoapps.org by March 4, 2009. Winners will be announced at Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, March 11, 2009 - Rio Hotel, Las Vegas.

>> Register Online at: www.sopoapps.org