On June 27, Maryland Secretary of State Mary D. Kane will help the Smith School announce the 20 semi-finalists of the second annual China Business Plan Competition at the Zhongguancun Wangjing Science Park in Beijing, China. The competition, themed Building Leaders for the Digital Economy, offers a $25,000 grand prize, $15,000 second prize and $10,000 third prize to entrepreneurs with information-, communication- or technology-related businesses.

On May 19, 2006 the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the first Cupids Cup business competition for student-run startups at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Under Armour Chief Executive Kevin Plank, a 1996 Smith graduate, put up the $10,000 prize and helped pick the winner of this years competition North Star Games (www.northstargames.com).

College Park, Md. April 28, 2006 - The Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland today announced that Melissa K. Carrier has been named to the newly created position of associate director at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. She will help manage the top-ranked national entrepreneurship centers programs, continue to develop the centers network of investors, and assist regional and student entrepreneurs. The position was created as part of the Dingman Centers continued efforts to support Washington and mid-Atlantic entrepreneurs and investors.

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, a top-ranked U.S. business school with Executive MBA and custom executive education programs in China, is sponsoring its second annual China Business Plan Competition. The competition, themed "Building Leaders for the Digital Economy" is organized by the Smith School's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and will bring together entrepreneurs and business executives from around the world to compete for a total of $50,000 in prize money, including a $25,000 grand prize, $15,000 second prize and $10,000 third prize.

Beijing, China March 23, 2006 The University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business is seeking leaders for the digital economy. The Smith School today announced the launch of the second annual China Business Plan Competition a contest that offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to present a business idea focused on information, communication or technology to compete for a $25,000 grand prize, $15,000 second prize or $10,000 third prize.

College Park, Md. March 7, 2006 The entrepreneurship program at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business is ranked among the top 13 nationally in research firm EntrePoints Annual Collegiate Entrepreneurship Program Rankings.

Capital Access Ventures, comprised of first-year Smith MBAs Mark Slusser, Anne Engebretsen, Avi Lerner, Susannah Campbell, and Karl Olson, won the Entrepreneur's Choice Award at the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) Regionals on March 2-4, 2006 in Atlanta. Earlier, the team was selected to represent the Smith School after winning an internal competition held on February 24. The internal round was sponsored by the Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship, Office of Career Management and venture capital firm Opus 8.

College Park, Md. February 7, 2006 - The Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland today announced that S. Tien Wong, chief executive officer of Opus8, Inc., a Md.-based private investment firm, will join the schools Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur-in-residence, Wong will leverage his substantial experience in identifying and developing new business ventures to assist student and local entrepreneurs at the leading entrepreneurial center in creating and managing their businesses.

The Smith Schools Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship recently hosted two MBA interns from the University of Groningen, Netherlands an experience that helped the Dutch students gain U.S. insight, as well as further promote international understanding for the U.S. students at the center.

Asher Epstein, managing director of the Smith Schools Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, recently led a delegation of students and entrepreneurs on week-long trip to Beijing, China from September 19 - 23, 2005. The purpose of the trip was to give delegation members first-hand insight into Chinas business climate, learn from and meet with local Chinese entrepreneurs, and to participate in the final round of the Smith School China Business Plan competition.