Students Compete for Nearly $25,000 in Prizes to Start Their Own Businesses at SDSU's 18th Annual Venture Challenge

Contact: Randy Carmical, Director of Communications
(619) 594-0206 Randy.Carmical@sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Monday, March 12, 2007 - The Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC) at San Diego State University will host Venture Challenge 2007 on March 15-17 at the Marriott in Mission Valley. This 18th annual event offers graduate students from around the world the opportunity to seek investment capital for their business ventures.

Management Professor Alex Denoble started Venture Challenge in his classroom 19 years ago when he awarded $500 to one of his students for an electronic cash register system. Several years later, the student's company, Salepoint Systems, wound up on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing companies in America. Venture Challenge began as a statewide event and has grown into a global competition with teams from all over the world participating.

More than half of the business ideas presented at Venture Challenge have resulted in start ups such as Roving Planet, Dimensions Furniture, EADevices, and uShip. This year, the EMC received the most open business plan submissions in the history of Venture Challenge.

This year's SDSU team, SunZag Security Products, specializes in developing affordable, user-friendly devices that help in the prevention of data and identity theft. The team is currently selling their first product, the Compact Disc Eraser, to online customers at DiscEraser.com. They are in the process of developing their second product, the Credit Card Punch. Team members are Maria Sun and Anders Svensson.

“The EMC has given us tremendous help and suggestions in preparing for both the challenge and the launch of our business in the real world,” said Sun. “With their help, I'm a better presenter, deeper thinker, and more effective team player.”

At the event, audience members will learn from community experts what investors want to see in a new company presentation. Teams comprised of top graduate students will be presenting to potential investors in competition for more than $20,000 in prizes. The top team will receive a grand prize of $15,000 and consulting services from eBoost Marketing valued at an additional $15,000.

A new award this year, the R. Michael Pack Award for Environmental Awareness in Entrepreneurship, will be presented to two teams with first place earning $1,500 and second
receiving $1,000. In addition, the Craig P. Dunn Award for Social Innovation in Entrepreneurship ($1,000) is awarded to the team with the business plan that best incorporates consideration of individual and societal impacts as an integral part of business strategy formulation and implementation. The Showstopper Award ($500) will go to the team with the best tabletop exhibit at the Exhibition Fair and Showcase.

A distinguished panel of experts including executives from entrepreneurial companies and venture capital firms, investors and service providers will judge the entries over a three-day competition and provide valuable feedback to the teams. The 2007 finalist judging panel will include: Domain Associates LLC Partner Brian Dovey, Hunter Industries CEO Dick Hunter, Titan Investment Partners LLC Managing Partner Steve Hamerslag, Gordian Knot Principal Martha Dennis, and Douglas Wilson of Douglas Wilson Companies.

In addition to SDSU, teams from the following universities will participate in the challenge: Babson College, Brigham Young University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Loyola Marymount University, New York University, Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, University of Louisville, University of Manitoba, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of New Mexico, University of Oregon, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas at Austin, University of Utah, University of California-San Diego, University of California-San Francisco, University of Georgia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt University.

Venture Challenge is open to the public and offers attendees a peek at upcoming businesses. The event is just one of the ways SDSU's EMC works to connect the university to the local community, business leaders, and alumni.

Venture Challenge 2007 is supported by dedicated donors including QUALCOMM, Inc.; SDSU's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER); KPBS San Diego; San Diego Business Journal; Ernst & Young, LLP; eBoost Marketing; I'm There For You Baby; and Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves and Savitch, LLP.

For more information, visit www.emc.sdsu.edu. Those interested in attending the event can the register online or by calling the EMC office at 619-594-2781.

About the Entrepreneurial Management Center
San Diego State University's Entrepreneurial Management Center (EMC) is dedicated to providing the regional entrepreneurial community with tools and skills necessary for venture creation and growth. The privately-funded Center promotes better knowledge and understanding of the entrepreneurial process through experiential learning. More information is available at www.sdsu.edu/emc.

About the College of Business Administration - Leadership for the Global Marketplace.
With over 6,000 students, the SDSU College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the U.S. Its programs in international business and graduate entrepreneurship are ranked among the top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu/business.

About San Diego State University
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees
in 81 areas, master's degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For information, visit www.sdsu.edu.