Programmatic Highlights from University of Maryland for Princeton Review/Entrepreneurship Magazine s 2013 Top Entrepreneurship Colleges Ranking Survey

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1 Programmatic Highlights from University of Maryland for Princeton Review/Entrepreneurship Magazine s 2013 Top Entrepreneurship Colleges Ranking Survey

2 Distinguishing Aspects of UMD s Entrepreneurship Programs... 2 Non-Traditional Aspects of the Entrepreneurship Programs at UMD... 4 Social Entrepreneurship at UMD... 8 Clubs/Organizations/Mentorship Opportunities for Entrepreneurship Students Entrepreneurship/Innovation Competitions UMD Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Courses UMD Graduate Level Entrepreneurship Courses Distinguishing Aspects of UMD s Entrepreneurship Programs In addition to having an entrepreneurship center based out of its business school and an entrepreneurship institute based out of its engineering school, the University of Maryland (UMD) has additionally just launched the Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship that reports directly to the President and the Provost with a campus-wide purview and mission. Led by a newly appointed Associate Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Academy is charged with infusing the University with a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across all colleges. The Academy is a signature initiative to support both the curricular and experiential education of all students so that they are inspired and empowered to translate creative ideas into enterprising solutions that solve problems whether economic, societal, technological, or cultural, and thereby create value. UMD already had an incredible foundation of entrepreneurial courses and programs built over 25 years primarily out of the business and engineering schools, and the Academy can now build on that foundation to grow existing, successful programs and to launch new courses and initiatives to address new needs and opportunities. In summary, the creation of the Academy underscores the continual and distinguishing commitment this University has to entrepreneurship and innovation, which is the highest strategic priority of the President, Provost, and the University. UMD also distinguishes itself every spring when UMD celebrates 30 Days of enterpreneurship ( a whole month dedicated to entrepreneurship programs, events, and competitions. While most schools have a business plan and/or entrepreneurship competition, UMD offers eight different competitions that award more than a quarter million dollars for the best ideas and innovations in technology, business, healthcare, social value, and clean energy. Some of these competitions include: Cupid's Cup ( - UMD's nationwide business competition sponsored and hosted by Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour. Cupid's Cup assembles some of the country's top student entrepreneurs to compete for a transformative prize package including $70,000 in cash prizes. 2

3 ACC Clean Energy Challenge ( - UMD was selected by the Department of Energy as one of six universities in the country to run a nationwide clean energy business plan competition for students. The ACC Clean Energy Challenge offers over $100,000 in prizes and sends the winner to Washington, DC for the grand national finals and meetings with the Secretary of Energy and other senior government officials. Do Good Challenge ( The Do Good Challenge is a seven-week competition that challenges students to make the greatest social impact they can for a cause they care about. Terps team up to volunteer, fundraise, promote awareness, start or advance a social enterprise, or engage in other activities that advance their favorite causes. Past celebrity hosts include Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, and Carl Lewis. Another unique aspect of UMD's entrepreneurial culture is Innovation Fridays. Innovation Fridays builds on five years of Pitch Dingman ( ) and five years of Entrepreneur Office Hours ( ), two entrepreneurial advising/mentoring programs that have helped thousands of budding student, faculty, and regional entrepreneurs. We have linked those signature programs together to ensure that anyone on campus seeking help with making their ideas a reality can get assistance each and every Friday at multiple locations across campus. Another distinguishing feature of The University of Maryland s entrepreneurship programs is that the Schools of Business and Engineering collaborate to provide students with campus-wide entrepreneurial activities and resources needed to launch their ventures. The Robert H. Smith School of Business is home to the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, one of the first and leading entrepreneurial centers in the nation. Through a wide-ranging set of programs including Pitch Dingman, Capital Access Network, Business Competitions, Israel Technology Commercialization Fellowship, Jumpstart, Legal Office Hours, and our Portfolio/Mentor Programs, the Dingman Center supports an active and involved regional entrepreneurial community. The Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) (James H. Clark School of Engineering) provides educational workshops for the undergraduate and graduate student bodies, hosts competitions helping students validate their business hypotheses and provides a series of resources from business ideation through company formation and operation. Student entrepreneurs can form teams and meet with mentors at the Technology Start-up Boot Camp, learn from their peers as they develop prototypes in the student managed Start-up Shell student incubator, enter and validate their business ideas in the Business Model Challenge and seek the 3

4 guidance of experienced entrepreneurs through Innovation Friday office hours. The Terp Startup Laboratory provides co-working space for students with established companies. If their ventures are successful, companies may apply for competitive admission to the Technology Advancement Program, the University of Maryland s business incubator. Non- Traditional Aspects of the Entrepreneurship Programs at UMD The University of Maryland is a campus of firsts in that it is often the first to try new approaches to entrepreneurship education. The entrepreneurship program is continually evolving to provide students with the skills that they need to succeed in our rapidly changing world. Special and non-traditional aspects of entrepreneurship are being developed and incorporated into the curriculum. Examples include: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This spring, UMD offered one of the first entrepreneurship MOOCs called Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship ( The course had over 80,000 enrollments from across the world. The newly formed Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is spearheading new initiatives in areas like: o "How to Develop Fearless Ideas" (Innovation): Teaching Diverse Teams Innovation Thinking and the Innovation Process. Emphasis on developing innovators, not necessarily on developing innovations per se. Collaborative student teams with diverse majors, skills, experiences, cultures, and viewpoints. Discovery-based learning, seeking out and learning from lots of real-world experts, listening & empathy. Quickly and iteratively experimenting with a lot of different ideas and angles. Fail often and fail quickly and learn from failures to reach innovative solutions. Borrows from IDEO and Stanford s d.school o "How to Launch Your Fearless Ideas" (Entrepreneurship): Lean Startup, discovery-based methodology that tailors Innovation Thinking practices to entrepreneurship and that is being rapidly adopted in the startup community. Physically getting out of the classroom and off campus to really explore and understand real-world problems and pain points in the market and in society. Combining these real-world learnings with entrepreneurship tools like the Business Model Canvas that may yield startup opportunities. Lean Startup was the Harvard Business Review Cover Story (May 2013) 4

5 The University of Maryland continues to build upon its rich entrepreneurial history by striving to provide every undergraduate student with exposure to entrepreneurship, regardless of their major. To meet this ambitious goal, the University of Maryland fosters entrepreneurship through both undergraduate curriculum based-learning and experiential programs across multiple campus departments and colleges, including engineering, business, agriculture, journalism, public health, public policy, chemistry, computer science and undergraduate studies. Students may pursue entrepreneurship through traditional academic paths including a Management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship offered through the RH Smith School of Business, or a technology entrepreneurship minor, offered through the School of Engineering. The University of Maryland offers 43 traditional undergraduate entrepreneurship classes with 39% residing in departments outside of the schools of business and engineering. At the graduate level, the University of Maryland offers over 22 traditional graduate entrepreneurship classes with 30% residing in departments outside of the school of business In addition to the traditional topics associated with entrepreneurship that are defined in question 24, the University of Maryland offers eight entrepreneurship classes covering non-traditional topics including innovation and design thinking, entrepreneurial branding and identity and nontraditional entrepreneurial opportunity analysis. Traditional undergraduate entrepreneurship classes are offered through 10 different programs throughout the campus. For example, freshman and sophomore students from multiple majors learn to re-think the traditional business model, focusing on corporate values and the triple bottom line, as they explore sustainability and social entrepreneurship in a College Park Scholars Colloquium. Upper level kinesiology students reinforce their learning on changes in physiological systems by designing a new product or service and writing a business plan to support their idea. Agricultural students apply the principles of entrepreneurship and sustainability as it relates to the operation and management of family-run farms. In addition to the traditional topics associated with entrepreneurship today s budding entrepreneurs need to acquire additional skills in innovation and design thinking, entrepreneurial branding and identity and non-traditional entrepreneurial opportunity analysis. The University of Maryland offers 8 courses related to these topics through the Colleges of Journalism and Agriculture and the School of Architecture. Through the journalism department, entrepreneurs learn strategies for defining their brand using storytelling techniques and technology to convey information. Students studying architecture use sustainability principles and design thinking skills to create development plans addressing urban growth and sprawl and pitch their ideas to planning and zoning boards. Agriculture students apply non-traditional opportunity analysis strategies to address sustainability and farm ownership challenges. Entrepreneurship experiences are also available to students of all majors through many of the 26 campus living-learning programs. 5

6 The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Honors Program ( for freshman and sophomores and the Hinman CEOs program, for upperclassmen, provide a unique four year immersive entrepreneurship experience. The Hinman CEO program was the first-of-kind living learning program that was featured on CNN when it launched in the academic year. The program has now been replicated around the country two dozen times. These programs foster an entrepreneurial spirit (students often create new ventures while enrolled), create a sense of community and cooperation, and develop ethical leaders. College Park Scholars ( consists of 11 different interdisciplinary communities promoting critical and integrative thinking through practical experiences such as internships and community service. By participating in these experiences, students work collaboratively alongside business and community leaders to define and solve real-world problems. Within the College Park Scholars Life Sciences living-learning program, 25% of the 90 sophomore students completed their internship in a small business or startup. Similarly over 23% of the 60 sophomores in the Science and Global Change program carried out their internships in small business settings. The Gemstone Program ( at the University of Maryland is a unique multidisciplinary four-year research program for selected undergraduate honors students of all majors. Under guidance of faculty mentors, teams of students design, direct and conduct significant research, often but not exclusively exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society. Upon graduation, several teams have created new ventures to continue developing their technologies. In the Beyond the Classroom Living Learning Program ( junior/senior students explore social entrepreneurship issues that matter to them as they prepare for leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. Through internships and interactions with activists with visionary ideas, Beyond the Classroom prepares future leaders to solve the world s greatest civic issues. In addition to providing students with entrepreneurship classes, the University of Maryland recognizes the importance of providing the skill sets that students need to start and grow their businesses. This year, the University of Maryland revamped its business plan competition, modeling it after the highly successful NSF Innovation Corps (I-corps) program. Teams participated in a four week mentoring workshop and utilized the business model canvas framework to develop a hypothesis, talk to a minimum of 30 customers and pivot their ideas based upon the feedback obtained during their customer interviews. 6

7 The University of Maryland also provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the resources and infrastructure necessary to launch their new ventures. Students may participate in up to 14 different business plan/product development competitions to help them refine their business ideas, develop their prototypes and compete for over $400,000 in prize money to fund their potential ventures. The Schools of Business and Engineering offer weekly office hours providing aspiring entrepreneurs with one-on-one access to seasoned entrepreneurial mentors. Each fall, the School of Engineering hosts a campus-wide Technology Startup Boot camp where students can pitch ideas for their new ventures, connect with other students to form teams, garner feedback on their minimal viable products and participate in focused discussions on customer discovery, product market fit and intellectual property. This spring, the University of Maryland launched the Startup Shell, its first student incubator, an entrepreneurial venture created by three Computer Science students. The Startup Shell is entirely student-managed and provides coworking space, tools and equipment for prototype development and access to a mentoring network. The University of Maryland Entrepreneurship Programs realize that to excel, students must experience entrepreneurship outside the classroom. Undergraduate students gain real world experience working with and visiting leading companies. The TDF Internship Program places students in a venture capital firm giving them a unique opportunity to practice entrepreneurship alongside active venture capitalists and leader technology entrepreneurs. The Private Equity and Venture Capital Clinic (PEVCC) is a program that provides selected students with the opportunity to serve as Analysts at an actual Private Equity Fund with over $100M under management, under the supervision of Professional Fund managers. The SAIC Practicum is an entrepreneurial consulting engagement in cooperation between Mtech and SAIC consultants. Projects are designed to provide real-life consulting experiences to entrepreneurship students and address emerging technology and business challenges. 7

8 Social Entrepreneurship at UMD Business ethics and the values of social entrepreneurship are instilled in entrepreneurship programming, coursework, mentoring, and funding at the University of Maryland. Business ethics an integral to the University s entrepreneurship programs, beginning with the competitive interview process for Mtech s award winning living learning communities. For example, entry into the Hinman CEO s Program, the first residential entrepreneurship program in the country, is based on an interview process that highly values ethical judgment. All students are expected to behave in an ethical manner in all business, academic, and personal interactions. Ethics are reinforced through class activities, group work, and fair evaluation of team members. Courses with a focus on business ethics are offered. In the Management major with a concentration in entrepreneurship, one of the major requirements is the BMGT 496 Business Ethics and Society course, which emphasizes a strategic approach by business to the management of its external environment. Students engage in a study of the standards of business conduct, morals and values as well as the role of business in society with consideration of the sometimes conflicting interests of and claims on the firm and its objectives. The Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) is dedicated to creating a better world through business principles. Social Entrepreneurship is at the heart of this mission. Whether a student desires to start their own nonprofit or for-profit organization, or create social and environmental changes from within a company, Smith's Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) will equip students to tackle today's complex global issues and create innovative business solutions. CSVC offers real-world field experience, cutting-edge coursework and research, and targeted career planning to connect you with opportunities to effect change and resources to put your ideas in motion. CSVC s goal is to develop leaders with a deep sense of individual responsibility and the knowledge to use business as a vehicle for positive social and environmental change. In 2008, the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business announced it was selected as an inaugural "Changemaker Campus" in partnership with Ashoka, a non-profit network of social entrepreneurs. Net Impact club members gain first-hand experience affecting positive change throughout organizations, in the areas of corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development and environmental sustainability. Through guest lecturers, student discussions, interactive workshops, and community volunteering, members explore new business models and methods to exert a positive impact upon our environment. The Smith School hosts a graduate Net Impact Chapter and an undergraduate Net Impact Chapter (UG Chapter launched this year January 2013). Both chapters received Gold status this year. According to Net Impact, this means "These chapters go above and beyond minimum chapter requirements to create opportunities for their members to develop business skills, meet folks who 8

9 can help members define career paths, and build a community of support to change our approach to social and environmental issues." Academically, students can participate in social entrepreneurship fellowships, internships, and courses. The Social Innovation Fellows Program teaches students to see the risks and recognize the opportunities that exist beyond traditional business, and to apply their business skills and creativity to create real solutions. The Social Innovation Fellows is a one-year program that challenges students to re-think products, services and business models that not only generate business value, but solve some of the world's greatest problems. Fellows enroll in two courses: Transformative Social Change course and Social Innovation Practicum course. Throughout the program, students interact with award-winning change leaders and develop a blueprint for an innovative solution to an issue they value. The program also provides hands-on experience working with renowned partner organizations such as Agora Partnerships, Grassroots Business Fund, IBM and more on current issues. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (EIP) provides University of Maryland Honors College freshmen and sophomores with an interdisciplinary, living and learning education to help build the entrepreneurial mindsets, skill sets, and relationships invaluable to developing innovative, impactful solutions to today's problems. The capstone for this two-year livinglearning program is the social entrepreneurship course. The Creating Enterprise with Social Impact course addresses the global necessity to develop and implement solutions to critical social and environmental concerns in ways that are both technologically viable and economically sustainable. The Smith School of Business offers the Social Enterprise: Changing the World through Innovation and Transformative Action course. This course looks at the history and theory of social change, reviews the skills, strategies, and ideas of effective change agents and gives students the tools to create a blueprint for their ideas for social transformation. The Impact Seed Fund offers grants totaling $25,000 annually to students in the University's Hinman CEOs, Hillman Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program initiatives who present business plans for new companies that benefit society. While plans that address the environment, education, healthcare, and other underserved markets and communities often present the strongest benefit to society with social responsibility lying at the core of the business plan, any plan that has considered and offered some kind of positive social benefit, or benefits some targeted disadvantaged community as an element of the business idea is eligible. The No Limits Social Impact Pitch Competition takes center stage at the University of Maryland Social Enterprise Symposium, hosted annually by the Center for Social Value Creation at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. "No Limits" offers a platform for UMD s aspiring social entrepreneurs and diverse student population passionate about social value creation and creating 9

10 a better world through business principles. In the months leading up to the "No Limits" competition students are offered business mentorship, participate in workshops, and receive feedback on presentations skills. Finalists pitch their ideas before a panel of judges and a live audience. "No Limits" is an official University of Maryland Fearless Ideas event led by the Center for Social Value Creation in partnership with the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, and with support from the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. The Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership in Maryland s School of Public Policy is focused on creating a new culture of philanthropy and a new generation of leaders who are making an impact locally and around the world by further promoting the ideals of doing well while doing good. Courses offered in the school, to both undergraduate and graduate students, discuss maintaining strong ethics and using business principles to make a social impact. All students, undergraduate and graduate, also are exposed to social impact through the Do Good Challenge, a 7 week philanthropy competition that encourages students to do good for a cause they care about, being as creative as possible. The winners of the last two challenges were students that formed new nonprofit organizations to better serve their causes In Spring of 2013, a new course was launched Writing for Social Entrepreneurship (ENGL398B) with two full sections. The goal of Writing for Social Entrepreneurship is to help students develop the professional writing skills they will need as a successful social entrepreneur or a team member in a social enterprise. Writing in the class includes a major writing project of the students choice, such as a business plan, grant proposal, concept paper for a new nonprofit or business, internal project proposal, recommendations report, manual, policy recommendation report, sales proposal, direct mail or fundraising campaign package. The project may address a social and/or environmental change interest of their own. In partnership with the Center for Social Value Creation, Education Abroad and the Honors College, UMD launched the Social Entrepreneur Corps (SEC). By generating and supporting community-based, self-sustaining small businesses, SEC has proven remarkably effective in combating third-world poverty. This unique eight-week study and internship program enables UMD students to learn the basic principles of social entrepreneurship through lectures, discussions, and hands-on, practical experience as they work side-by-side with SEC professionals developing micro-consignment businesses in Nicaragua. 10

11 Clubs/Organizations/Mentorship Opportunities for Entrepreneurship Students (1) The Hinman CEO's program is the Nation's first living-learning entrepreneurship program, serving 90 juniors and seniors from over 25 majors each year. Our living-learning entrepreneurship model has been replicated at 24 universities worldwide. (2) The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program serves 150 freshmen and sophomore students in a residential community focused on entrepreneurial thinking. All students are members of the Honors College, and develop a social entrepreneurship venture as a capstone project in the program. (3) The Hillman Entrepreneurs Program is a scholarship program targeted to the needs of transfer students who begin their study at Prince George's Community College and complete their bachelor degrees at the University of Maryland. This program serves non-traditional student with economic and life hardships. (4) The Entrepreneurship Fellows Program brings together talented business school students to create an entrepreneurial chemistry that will stimulate the creation and growth of the new highpotential enterprises. The Entrepreneurship Fellows Program is a special selective track of the General Business Major, providing 4 dedicated entrepreneurship courses which prepare students to develop great ideas into viable business ventures. (5) Through an engaging curriculum, real-world field experience, cutting-edge research, and targeted career planning, the Center for Social Value Creation immerses students in complex and dynamic marketplaces where creative vision and thoughtful entrepreneurship tackle some of society s most critical environmental and humanitarian needs. (6) MUSE, the Maryland Society of Entrepreneurs, gives undergraduate students an opportunity to develop, start, run, and expand their own business. The Maryland Undergraduate Society of Entrepreneurs (MUSE) seeks to educate students about entrepreneurship, bring a method to the madness through experienced speakers and educational seminars, build a community of critically thinking entrepreneurs, and to have a great time doing it. (7) With a chapter at the University of Maryland, the mission of the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization is to inform, support, and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. (8) Newly formed at the undergraduate level, Net Impact serves as a hub for both academic and career-oriented activities related to developing a broader perspective of leadership and 11

12 entrepreneurship. Through guest lecturers, student discussions, interactive workshops, and community volunteering, members explore new business models and methods to exert a positive impact upon our environment. (9) The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship is housed in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The Dingman Center focuses on practical entrepreneurship, global innovation and international classroom experiences. The Center promotes opportunities that provide maximum resources to start-up businesses in terms of ideation, execution and financing; and that support its mission to take entrepreneurs from the back of a napkin to the first $1 million in financing. (10) The Mobile App Developers (MAD for short) is a University of Maryland student club whose mission is to design and build mobile applications that will benefit the students of the University of Maryland. (11) Startup Shell is the University of Maryland student-founded and student-run startup incubator facility. The incubator provides co-working space for student entrepreneurs, a device laboratory and access to a mentoring network. (12) Pitch Dingman, provides students an opportunity to seek advice on how to expand and solidify their business ideas into actionable business concepts (similar to a pitch to venture capitalists). (13) Students can submit an executive summary of their business idea and their business plan for the application process to the Smith E-Fund and Incubator; students who are admitted to the program receive funding, mentoring, and operational support for their businesses. (14) Venture Accelerator is a selective program open to both students and faculty committed to creating new companies based on technology innovations. (15) The Technology Start-Up Boot Camp for students, faculty, and technologists throughout the region hosts over 500 participants each fall in collaboration with NCIIA; the Technology Start-Up Boot Camp helps students transfer innovative research and ideas out of the University setting and into the commercial sector. (16) Mtech's Entrepreneur Office Hours are recurring open sessions for students to meet with entrepreneurs-in-residence, venture capitalists, attorneys, and related members from the new venture community to explore ideas and get mentoring on their concepts. (17) The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship launched the Dingman Jumpstart program during the Winter 2009 break. Students must commit 100 hours in the course of 3 weeks to research a business opportunity, and try to launch a live business by the end of the Jumpstart. Students may choose to work on their own business ideas, or on the ones provided by the Center. 12

13 The Jumpstart culminates in investor pitches by each team to the panel of judges to receive funding. (18) The Dingman Virtual Incubation Program is designed to assist student-entrepreneurs to take their business idea to the next level. Accepted teams meet with the Dingman Center twice monthly for 3-6 months, depending on individual needs and stage of the business development. (19) Located on the University of Maryland campus, the Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center offers free legal services to student entrepreneurs, including patent applications, prior art searches, license agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and company formation. (20) Legal Office Hours are also provided by the Dingman Center, with 20 minute sessions available each month in both corporate and intellectual property law. (21) The Private Equity and Venture Capital Clinic (PEVCC) is a program that provides selected students with the opportunity to serve as Analysts at an actual Private Equity Fund with over $100M under management, under the supervision of Professional Fund managers. PEVCC will provide Fellows members with strategic training and skills coveted by corporate recruiters. It also gives high achieving students exposure to the Fund s network of local entrepreneurs, portfolio company management teams, other venture funds and industry professionals, and most importantly gain real-life investment experience. unet.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad/portal/portalhub.nsf/id/privateequityvc (22) The Social Innovation Fellows Program teaches students to see the risks and recognize the opportunities that exist beyond traditional business, and to apply their business skills and creativity to create real solutions--whether students work in a Fortune 500 company, a local nonprofit, or anything in between. (23) Terp Start-Up Lab Tech Entrepreneur Research and Prototyping (TERP) Startup Laboratory is a new technology incubation program for University of Maryland faculty, students, and regional entrepreneurs. (24) The SAIC Practicum is an entrepreneurial consulting engagement in cooperation between Mtech and SAIC consultants. Projects are designed to provide real-life consulting experiences to entrepreneurship students and address emerging technology and business challenges. Students spend one academic term working in a team to solve real-life issues experiences by a large company. Consultants at SAIC and an Mtech representative serve as mentors to the students throughout the consulting practicum. (25) Innovation Office Hours are weekly open sessions providing students with technology based ideas the opportunity to meet one-on-one with experienced entrepreneurs from the technology fields. 13

14 (26) EnTERPreneur Academy is a program to help guide student ventures from idea to launch. The goal of program is to commit to building your venture, create a plan for success, connect with industry experts and collaborate with fellow student entrepreneurs. The Academy provides members with a variety of resources including startup fundamentals workshops, advising, office space, selling opportunities and seed funding. The Academy's three stages Idea Shell, Hatch and Terp Startup provide students with specific resources and requirements that suit the level of progress for their ventures. (27) The Social Innovation Scholars Program, created by the College of Arts and Humanities, provides creative and talented undergraduate students the opportunity to work with a university mentor and a representative from a nonprofit organization. Over the course of three semesters, students research and implement innovative solutions to problems identified by the organization. Scholars work with their mentor and their organization of choice to explore specific concerns and present a white paper to the organization for discussion and response. During a summer internship with their organization, scholars learn first-hand about the organization and its challenges. In the final semester, scholars implement and evaluate the effectiveness of their solutions. (28) The Smith E-club assists MBA students interested in starting their own personal ventures, pursuing careers in venture capital or joining early start-up companies. The Entrepreneurship Club hosts a series of annual events to support two tracks of career interests among students: entrepreneurship and venture capital. (29) The Social Venture Consulting Program provides MBA students with the opportunity to participate in consulting engagements with non-profits around the country. This highly competitive program fosters innovation in the social sector and provides a learning environment for students to translate classroom theory to practice. Projects are designed for full-time equivalents over 3 months to address issues whether financial, marketing, operational, organizational or strategic and to develop the necessary steps to solve the problems and improve the organization. Since the program's inception in 2006, 58 MBA full-time and parttime students have served 26 non-profits with projects ranging from digital media strategies to board development to strategic growth initiatives. (30) The Warren Citrin Graduate Fellowships program supports entrepreneurial engineering students who have a desire to pursue research in the broad area of global sustainability. Citrin Fellows demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and ability and interest in starting a technology company that has social impact. Sustainability encompasses technologies that contribute to maintaining/achieving sustainable infrastructure, environment and health, including but not limited to: clean energy sources, energy efficiency, pollution reduction, water resources, carbon reduction, energy and waste measurement systems, medical devices, etc. Students are admitted 14

15 into their departmental graduate programs and work with their research advisors while also receiving special training and mentoring in entrepreneurship and venture creation through the Citrin Fellows Program. 15

16 Entrepreneurship/Innovation Competitions The University of Maryland offers 16 different business plan competitions, encompassing business concepts, prototype development and revenue generating businesses. In addition to competitions for University of Maryland students, the University sponsors competitions open to students from the region and the nation. National Competitions: (1) Cupid s Cup, hosted by the R.H. Smith School of Business, is a nationwide business competition for undergraduate and graduate student businesses that have been in operation for less than five years and demonstrate revenues in excess of $5000. Cash Prizes total: $70, Regional Competitions: (2) The ACC Clean Energy Challenge, hosted by the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute is sponsored by the Department of Energy. Student teams from the ACC Schools (University of Maryland, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina, University of Miami, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest) as well as at-large entries from the southeast US, compete for over $100,000 in prizes to help commercialize their clean energy technologies. International Competitions: (3) The China Business Plan Competition, hosted by the R.H. Smith School of Business, awards business ideas that are based in China or leverages Chinese resources. The University of Maryland and China s Peking University students compete for cash prizes totaling $10, University of Maryland Competitions: (4) The UM Business Model Challenge, hosted by the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, promotes the commercialization of innovative ideas and University-created technologies by focusing on identifying and precisely defining the assumptions of the new venture, testing those assumptions in the field, and then changing (pivoting) based on the lessons learned Competition is open to students, faculty and alumni -. Cash prizes total $43, (5) The Do Good Challenge, hosted by the School of Public Policy s Center for Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership, is a seven week student contest for social entrepreneurship that challenges students to make the greatest social impact they can for a cause they care about. Students team up to volunteer, fundraise, promote awareness, start or advance a social 16

17 enterprise, or engage in other activities that advance their favorite causes. Cash prizes total $8, (6) Be the Solution Business Plan Competition, hosted by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, encourages students in the social and behavioral sciences to create business models demonstrating social value and impact on topics related to global sustainability, understanding societies and cultures, and improving the human condition. Cash prizes total $ (7) No Limits Social Pitch Competition, hosted by the Center for Social Value Creation, seeks to harness the ideas of Maryland students to start businesses that change the world. Its goal is to provide an integrative experience for participants, built out of earlier curricular or extracurricular development activities at Maryland, and to ultimately prepare students for opportunities in social entrepreneurship. Pitches can include nonprofit, for-profit, or blended model business plans. Cash Prizes total $ (8) The Pitch Dingman Competition, hosted by the R.H. Smith School of Business, offers students the opportunity to pitch their business ideas or already launched business to Entrepreneurs in Residence for feedback and to compete for funding. Cash prizes total $11, (9) The Code for Community Challenge, hosted by the College of Architecture, is a product development competition providing undergraduate students the opportunity to create a mobile or web based app that meets a community need. No cash prizes are awarded. (10) The FIA seed competition, hosted by the University of Maryland Future Information Alliance, encourages interdisciplinary teams consisting of student members from 2 or more University of Maryland departments to engage in projects leading to innovative solutions to key information related challenges. Cash prizes total $100, (11) The Computer Science Fostering Innovation, Success, and Humanity [F.I.S.H] Bowl,is a tech entrepreneurship showcase and competition. The F.I.S.H. Bowl aims to foster the innovation, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Maryland. This competition strives to promote and support tech ventures/ideas that solve problems facing humankind, ranging from seemingly mundane to the very consequential. Cash Prizes total $10,

18 (12) In the Computer Science Daemon Dash Hackathon, teams of four students design and develop a piece of software around a theme given to them at the start of the Daemon Dash. The teams have twenty four hours to work together to come up with a prototype to demonstrate to an audience and judges the very next day. Last year, twelve teams competed with fantastic results (13) The Impact Seed Fund, managed by the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, encourages innovative and creative thinking and provides the opportunity to execute on those innovative ideas. The Fund, valued at $25,000 per year, is available to Hinman CEOs, Hillman Entrepreneurs, and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program students at the University of Maryland. Distribution of seed funding will favor proposals that consider potential for offering a positive impact on society or that provide a solution that includes a forward-thinking strategy. (14) The Dingman Center at the R. H. Smith School of Business assists University of Maryland students, faculty, and staff with expertise, resources, and funding. As part of the center's mission to nurture regional entrepreneurship, members of the UMD community are eligible to apply for seed stage funding per year. Investment is determined on a case-by-case basis with a maximum investment of $30,000 over two years. (15) The Hinman CEOs Alumni Fund awards up to $5,000 annually to current Hinman CEOs students to help them launch new businesses and jumpstart their ventures. (16) The BB&T Business Invitational is a showcase of University of Maryland companies, regional startups, and campus and regional resources for entrepreneurs. Attendees have the opportunity to network with UMD students and alumni, local entrepreneurs and investors, and business leaders from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Sponsored by BB&T, and now in its fifth year, prize money ($10,000) is awarded to top exhibitors as voted on by event attendees. 18

19 UMD Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Courses College Course Number Course Title Agriculture AGRI ANSC236 Equine Business Management AGRI AREC306 Farm Management and Sustainable Food Production ARHU ARHU ARHU ARHU Arts and Humanities Interdisciplinary Studies in Arts and Humanities; Social Activism and ARHU439J Popular Culture AMST429J ENGL398B ENGL398N Perspectives on Popular Culture; Social Activism and Popular Culture Topics in Professional Writing; Writing for Social Entrepreneurship Topics in Professional Writing; Writing for Non-Profit Organizations CMNS CMNS CMSC498E Technology for CS Start ups CMNS CHEM498E Entrepreneurship in Chemical and Life Sciences CP Scholars CP Scholars College Park Scholars College Park Scholars First Year CPSP118E Colloquium II College Park Scholars Second Year CPSP218E Colloquium II CP Scholars CPSP227 STS Capstone ENGIN ENES 140 ENGIN ENES 141 ENGIN ENES142 ENGIN ENES143 ENGIN HEIP100 ENGIN HEIP143 ENGIN HEIP144 Engineering Discovering New Ventures Foundations in Entrepreneurship Introduction to High-Tech Product Development & Marketing Introduction to Innovative Thinking & Creativity Communication Essentials for Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship & Innovation Colloquium Foundations in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship & Innovation 19

20 ENGIN ENGIN ENES210 HEIP240 Entrepreneurial Opportunity Analysis & Decision-Making in 21 st Century Technology Ventures Exploring International Entrepreneurship & Innovation ENGIN HEIP241 Social Entrepreneurship Practicum ENGIN ENGIN ENGIN ENES460 ENES461 ENES462 Fundamentals of Technology Start- Up Ventures Advanced Entrepreneurial Opportunity Analysis in Technology Ventures Marketing High-Technology Products & Innovations ENGIN ENES463 Strategies for Managing Innovation International Entrepreneurship & ENGIN ENES464 Innovation ENGIN ENES465 Entrepreneurial Design Thinking ENGIN ENES498 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship ENGIN ENES498E/Chem498E Special Topics in Entrepreneurship / Entrepreneurship in Chemical and Life Sciences ENGIN ENES498P Journalism Special Topics in Entrepreneurship / Corporate Technology Ventures Journalism JOUR455 Media Entrepreneurship School of Public Health SPH KNES498I Advanced Applied Physiology SPP UGST School of Public Policy Investing and Leading Social Change: The Art and Science of PUAF359I Philanthropy Undergraduate Studies Civic Leadership for Community UNIV389L Engagement UGST UNIV389G Solving Converging Global Crises UGST UNIV389T Social Media for Social Change Non-Traditional Entrepreneurship AGRI AGNR301 Sustainability AGRI ANSC420 Critical Thinking in Animal Science 20

21 AGRI AGRI AREC200 LARC471 The Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem: Intersection of Science, Economics and Policy Capstone Studio: Community Design Architecture ARCH403 Architecture Studio IV Advanced Interactive Multimedia JOUR 654/354 * Journalism Storytelling Self-Presentation in the Age of Journalism JOUR130 YouTube Journalism JOUR352 Intermediate Multimedia Journalism UMD Graduate Level Entrepreneurship Courses College Course Number Course Title Architecture Architecture RDEV688I Real Estate Capstone Architecture RDEV688P Entrepreneurship Basics for Real Estate Developers Engineering ENGIN ENES660 ENES660 Fundamentals of Technology Start-Up Ventures ENGIN ENES663 ENES663 Strategies for Managing Innovation ENGIN ENES778A Special Topics in Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Idea to Market Business Smith BUSI 647 Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity Smith BUSI660 Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Smith BUSI661 Creativity for Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs Smith BUSI771 New Venture Financing Smith BUMO730 Corporate Venturing Smith BUMO752 Strategic Growth for Emerging Companies Smith BUMO753 Emerging Business Formation Smith BUMO758 Social Entrepreneurship 21

22 Smith BUMO758F Special Topics in Management and Organization: Entrepreneurial Issues in Family and Closely-Held Businesses Smith BUMO777 Technology Commercialization Smith BUSI758 Business Plan Writing and China Business Plan Competition Training Smith BUMO758 Entrepreneurial Exit Strategies Smith BUMO758 International Entrepreneurship Public Policy SPP PUAF689D Social Entrepreneurship SPP PUAF689P Strategic Philanthropy Business/Engineering Joint Program Smith/Engin ENTS689K Telecommunications Entrepreneurial Practicum Smith/Engin ENTS670 Introduction to Business and Entrepreneurship Non-Traditional Entrepreneurship Architecture ARCH601 Topical Design Studio Journalism JOUR 654/354 * Advanced Interactive Multimedia Storytelling SPP PUAF689Z Strategic Management of Nonprofit and Public Organizations 22