Celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week

Smith is the place for entrepreneurs, whether you’re planning to start your business in the U.S. or abroad. The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship is continuously pushing the boundaries of teaching and learning with its focus on practical entrepreneurship, global innovation and international classroom experiences. And over the past ten years it has increasingly built an impressive portfolio of global opportunities for Maryland students.

The annual China Business Plan Competition is one of those unique global experiences. Teams of three to five MBA students from the Smith School and the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University in Beijing work together on a business idea—first virtually, and then face-to-face in Beijing—before competing for $10,000 in prize money. It’s a unique opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and practice cross-cultural collaboration. The competition, now in its seventh year, serves as the highlight of a weeklong business and cultural exploration of China for Smith MBA students.

The center also offers a unique learning experience in cooperation with Technion in Israel, in which Smith MBA students partner with Technion MBA students on technology commercialization. “What really distinguishes our international programs is the classroom experience—having our students learn side-by-side with students in China and Israel,” says Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center.

The center recently won the top award for innovative teaching methods from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers for its international programs. Learn more about entrepreneurship at Smith, both in the U.S. and abroad, on the Dingman Center website.

Dingman Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary 

Global Entrepreneurship Week Events at Smith

Empower your inner entrepreneur, discover how entrepreneurs are changing their companies and communities, or join us for some fun holiday shopping. See full list of events.

• Nov 14: Networks for Change: Social Media for Social Change
• Nov 15: CEO@Smith Speaker Series, featuring Al Carey ‘74, CEO of PepsiCo
• Nov 16: UMD Entrepreneurship Connector
• Nov 17: Terp Marketplace
• Nov 17: Pitch Dingman Competition
• Nov 18: Dingman Center Angels Review Day; Pitch Dingman informal sessions

Smith Students Prepare for 7th Annual China Business Plan Competition

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship is gearing up to host the seventh annual China Business Plan Competition in Beijing on Jan. 5, 2012. Teams of up to four Smith students will compete against their counterparts in China for $10,000 in cash prizes for the best business plan pitch. Read more.

Entrepreneurship in Israel

Every summer, Smith MBA students travel to Haifa, Israel, for a 10-week Global Technology Entrepreneurship internship. Read more.

How will Global Entrepreneurship Week inspire you? 

Entrepreneurship is more than just starting a business. Entrepreneurship is the act of finding opportunities and using those opportunities to create value. Learn more through advice from faculty experts, speeches made by successful entrepreneurs and highlights from entrepreneurship competitions. View videos on our Youtube channel.

Learn More!

The Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Washington Post's Capital Business Section partner each week to bring readers the Business Rx column, where entrepreneurs from all around the region are paired with experts from Smith to discuss common problems. From funding, to traction, to marketing, to hiring -- we've covered it all. The column runs every Monday in the Post and online and can be found on the Capital Business website.

The pages of Smith Business Magazine are overflowing with stories about our entrepreneurial students and alumni. From start-up companies to multimillion dollar ventures, our alums seem to be doing it all.Check out their stories and other entrepreneurship-focused stories straight from the pages of Smith Business Magazine.

Research

• Who leaves, where to, and why worry?
• Newsflash: Business Plans are Useless
• Professor Bob Baum writes about successful entrepreneurs
• Do entrepreneurs really think differently?

Global Entrepreneurship Week at Smith is part of the University of Maryland’s International Education Week.