SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Everybody knows Uber and Airbnb. The two startups are so big that their names have become not just noun, but verb. The riding-hailing service and the house-sharing service are two of today's best-known unicorn companies, privately held startups valued at more than $1 billion.  There was a time when the notion of a $1 billion tech startup seemed like a far-fetched, mythical creation. Today, though, there are loads of these companies out there. 

Fifteen participants from colleges and universities throughout the United States traveled to Cuba from May 21-28, 2017, with the University of Maryland’s Center for International Business Education and Research (UMD CIBER).

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach provided a suitable venue for the National Parking Association’s most recent convention for at least two reasons. Besides the luxury accommodations, the buzzing nightlife at the hotel creates one of the hardest valet parking jobs in the country.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is excited to announce some favorite books in the "13th Annual Top-10 Summer Reading List for Business Leaders" for 2016, as recommended by members of its faculty and administrators.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Venture capitalists are stars in Silicon Valley, picking and choosing among potential tech giants and riding startups to riches (if they're lucky). But venture capital isn't for every startup, and the pursuit of VC can be a trap, points out

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has launched a startup podcast called Bootstrapped. The podcast features founders, investors and serial entrepreneurs from the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia startup scene. While the podcast covers many aspects of startup life, the heart of the show focuses on funding from both the founder and investor perspectives, thus the name, Bootstrapped.

A coffee startup that emerged through the University of Maryland (UMD) has captured the 2016 Cupid’s Cup Competition. Javazen, which blends coffee with teas and superfoods for “a healthier caffeine boost,” topped five other entries in the 11th annual competition, established by Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank -- in collaboration with his alma mater and founding "university partner," UMD.

WeCook, a new tech company that brings personal chefs into people’s homes to stock their refrigerators with meals for a low subscription fee, was the big winner in the Feb. 16 Pitch Dingman Competition. The first-place win came with a $15,000 prize that the startup plans to use for marketing.

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is kicking off 2016 with a new strategic initiative. Historically, the center has focused primarily on traditional entrepreneurship but recently has recognized the desire among its student populations to pursue social ventures. To execute social entrepreneurship programming, the center has welcomed Sara Herald as associate director for social entrepreneurship. Previously, Herald and social entrepreneurship programs resided in the Smith School’s Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC).

Robert H. Smith ’50 came to the University of Maryland as an undergraduate student with passion for real estate development and quest for adventure. “The person who is afraid to take risks and make mistakes will never achieve everything of which he or she is capable,” he said more than 60 years later during a 2008 commencement address at his alma mater.