Cupid’s Cup Business & Innovation Showcase and Competition is where you’ll find the coolest innovations from the UMD campus and our region all under one roof. Pick the brains of entrepreneurs from all kinds of businesses. Take a break from the the dining halls and your usual lunch spots and visit the food trucks. Get to the competition early to score one of our limited-edition t-shirts. And definitely stay to watch our competitors duke it out in front of Under Armour Founder Kevin Plank.
Business & Innovation Showcase Sponsored by BB&T
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Riggs Alumni Center
Final Competition
1:30 to 4 p.m.
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Applications Accepted
Semi-finalists announced
Semi-final round at Under Armour in Baltimore, Md.
Finalists announced
Final competition at the University of Maryland, College Park
$70K in cash prizes
Access to Kevin Plank’s professional network
In-kind services from strategic providers
The prestigious
Cupid’s Cup
Reed Street Productions operates “Run for Your Lives”, a zombie apocalypse-themed 5K race in which participants navigate an obstacle course and rugged terrain—all while being chased by “zombies.” Reed Street Productions was founded by Ryan Hogan.
Social Ingot is a unique business that leverages three of the largest growth areas on the Internet: social media monetization, online gaming, and virtual currency. The Social Ingot platform delivers targeted and optimized offer management for advertisers within social gaming environments, and monetizes virtual currency and drives brand engagement opportunities for corporations and their agencies. Social Growth Technologies was founded by Paul Capriolo ’06 and Patrick Jenkins ’06.
Anaptyx provides WiFi Internet access to apartment communities and municipalities through energy-efficient technology. Every month, over 35,000 users transfer 29 Terabytes of data through Anaptyx networks. Anaptyx was founded by Jonathan Rust, MBA ’09.
MyFridgeRental.com is a dorm size refrigerator rental service, currently serving schools in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and DC. They provide straight to door dorm delivery and pick up at the start and end of a term. MyFridgeRental handles repairs and replacements FREE of charge if problems arise with the unit and offers rentals for the entire school year or a single semester, as well as summer term rentals. MyFridgeRental.com was founded by brothers Adam ’11 and Eric ’11 VanWagner.
College Media Group is the publisher of College Magazine, the ultimate, uncensored daily guide to college. Written entirely by students and for students, they cover real issues that affect the campus community nationwide, including academic and career advice, inspiring student features, NCAA sports coverage, celebrity interviews and answers to even the most intimate or embarrassing sex questions. College Media Group was founded by Amanda Nachman ’07.
Goozex is a leading Web-based video game trading community that allows users to trade video games for points and engages a community of gamers. Goozex was founded by Jon Dugan ’06 and Valerio Zanini, MBA ’06.
North Star Games is the maker of innovative board games, including the award-winning “Wits & Wagers”, “Say Anything”, and the newest game “Crappy Birthday.” North Star Games was founded by Dominic Crapuchettes, MBA ’04.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
UNDER ARMOUR
Kevin Plank is founder and CEO of Under Armour and a 1996 graduate of the University of Maryland. As a Maryland football player he was not permitted to hold a job but no one said he couldn’t start a company. His first idea was a rose delivery business called Cupid’s Valentine targeted to his classmates. In the first four years the business generated $17,000 and became seed money for his BIG idea: a T-shirt that wicked sweat and kept athletes cool, dry and light. Click here for more about Kevin.
The University of Maryland’s Cupid’s Cup is powered by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The application phase runs from November 1, 2012 to February 1, 2013 (11:59PM EST). There is no fee to apply. Applications are managed through iStart. The final competition will be Friday, April 5, 2013.
Still have questions or need information? Contact Holly DeArmond at hdearmond@rhsmith.umd.edu or 301.405.9461.
