Washington, D.C. and Baltimore were both recently named among the top 10 best cities to launch a business (No. 6 and No. 10, respectively) by Fortune Small Business magazine and the Kauffman Foundation. With the Baltimore-Washington region so ripe for startups, it’s no wonder the state of Maryland is supporting technology transfer initiatives to get commercialize research innovations discovered at universities and federal laboratories.

Broadcast Dates: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 7:30 p.m.Sunday, April 12, 2009, 7:30 a.m.Monday, April 13, 2009, 4:30 a.m. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 27 million small businesses in the United States, employing more than 40 million people. With the economy struggling in recession, for most small businesses the name of game is survival.

The second annual Cupids Cup competition was held Friday, May 4, 2007, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business in College Park, MD. The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship hosted the business competition for student- and alumni-run startups. Under Armour Chief Executive Kevin Plank, a 1996 Smith graduate, put up $22,500 in prize money and helped pick the winner of this years competition Goozex Inc. (www.goozex.com), an award-winning, peer-to-multi-peer video game trading company headquartered in College Park.

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.

On June 6, Smith school students Maya Rao and Brendon Fox, along with Dingman Center managing director, Asher Epstein, were featured in the national, award-winning program, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.