DFJ 250,000 East Coast Venture Challenge

I received this email for a $250,000 business plan competition at Columbia

-Howie

Dear Howie Rhee,

 

            We would like to extend an invitation to Duke and Fuqua to participate in the 3^rd Annual DFJ $250,000 East Coast Venture Challenge (ECVC). The competition, hosted by Columbia Business School, offers aspiring student entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of venture capital judges from Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) in Menlo Park and DFJ Gotham in New York City.  The goal of the competition is to promote student involvement in entrepreneurial endeavors and provide the opportunity for student entrepreneurs to receive seed funding and professional feedback.  This year’s competition will include more than 70 East Coast schools and we hope that Duke and Fuqua will take part.

 

            Each participating university will be invited to submit one business plan team to compete against top teams from other leading East Coast universities.  All participants must submit their business plan and presentation deck to http://www.studentbusinesses.com by the deadline in April, which will be announced shortly.  Five finalists will be chosen by the general public through an online voting process and five will be chosen by VC investors from DFJ and DFJ Gotham on an April date to be announced shortly.   The ten finalists will be invited to Columbia Business School on May 8, 2009 to pitch to a panel of venture capital investors.  One winner will receive a $250,000 seed investment.

 

            We have attached a document outlining the specific guidelines and requirements. Greater detailed information can also be accessed at http://ecvc.studentbusinesses.com, which will be live March 23, 2009.  We look forward to your university’s potential participation in the 3^rd Annual ECVC.  The DFJ Network and Columbia Business School would like to thank Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for helping sponsor the event.  Please confirm the receipt of this email and your intention to participate in the competition. 

 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jeff Hui at jhui10@gsb.columbia.edu. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Jeff Hui

Member of ECVC Planning Committee
MBA Class of 2010
(646)489-9193

jhui10@gsb.columbia.edu