Iowa State University
10-4-96

Contacts:
Gary Koppenhaver, College of Business, (515) 294-8119
Michelle Johnson, News Service, (515) 294-8986

ISU BUSINESS COLLEGE INSPIRES ENTREPRENEURS

THROUGH NEW GRADUATE INITIATIVE

AMES, Iowa -- A new initiative for graduate students in Iowa State's College of Business is aimed at providing incentives for entrepreneurship. The program is centered around a competition to create the best business plan for a new company. Top winners in the contest could receive up to $8,000.

Businesses for which the plans are created can be based on a licensed technology from the Iowa State University Research Foundation (ISURF) or a concept developed by students.

A panel of judges from the College of Business faculty and private sector will review proposals at the end of the spring 1997 semester. First, second and third place winners will present their business plans to the public at that time. An $8,000 grant will be awarded for first place; $4,000 for second place; and $2,000 for third place.

To assist the students, Gary Koppenhaver, associate professor of finance and project leader; Sanjeev Argarwal, associate professor of marketing; and Sree Nilakanta, associate professor of management, will develop and present a series of seminars on business planning topics including market analysis, financing sources and product development.

"The success of this initiative will be measured not only by the number of businesses created and the experience gained, but by the quality of students recruited into our graduate programs because of this effort," said Koppenhaver.

Information about the graduate student competition and a schedule of seminars can be found at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~isubuscoll/ISURF1.htm.

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