Startup Matchmaker for Duke MBA Students: April 2010

For those of you that have an affinity towards Massachusetts, here's a new competition for you.

Also worth checking out the MIT 100K, which is open to all competitors in the Fall.

Howie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Harthorne <john@masschallenge.org>
Date: Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 9:38 AM
Subject: Need your help to reach high-impact startups
To: hwr2@duke.edu

Global Startup Competition

April 2010

MassChallenge launched a global startup competition on April 14 with an award pool of $1 Million.

I am writing you to request your help to connect with high impact startups around the world so we can provide them with access to the resources they need to launch and grow.

We are a non-profit designed to catalyze a startup renaissance by helping the world's best early stage startups launch and succeed immediately.

What you can do to help
We will send you an email with instructions on how startups can enter. Please forward that email to every high-impact startup you can reach. We are eager to help them win.

Startups can enter online: http://masschallenge.org/

I have included more information about MassChallenge below my signature. You can also learn much more about MassChallenge on our website. Please let me know if you have additional questions after reviewing that information.

Thank you,

John Harthorne
Founder & CEO, MassChallenge

What is MassChallenge?

MassChallenge is a non-profit started by entrepreneurs to help entrepreneurs. On April 14, we launched the first annual MassChallenge global startup competition with a $1M prize pool to accelerate the launch and success of high-growth, high-impact new businesses. We take no equity stake in entrants and place no restrictions on winners. Our sole goal is to help entrepreneurs win. We plan to run one competition annually. The 2010 submission deadline is June 11 and winners will be announced in early October.

Every MassChallenge entrant receives access to training, feedback, PR and networking support via expert volunteers from partner organizations. Around 100 of the highest-potential entrants will receive ~3 months of intensive mentorship and other free resources in Massachusetts, including premium office space and targeted introductions to customers and funding sources. The very best startups will be identified by expert judges to receive cash awards toward launching their businesses along with enhanced PR and privileged access to top investors seeking to place seed capital to work in high-growth firms. MassChallenge is a non-profit leveraging both public and private funding.

What kind of startups are we seeking?

We support all startups, but we are primarily focused on finding high impact startups, i.e. disruptive businesses with the potential for signicant growth, revenue, profit and/or societal benefit. We support early stage startups, i.e. less than $500K of investment to date and less than $1M in annual revenue. The competition is open to anyone in the world with any startup in any industry, including both for-profit and not-for-profit startups.

Selection of Committed Supporters

Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Governor

Gregory Bialecki, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston
Desh Deshpande, Founder Sycamore Networks, serial entrepreneur, avid coach for young entrepreneurs
Josh Boger, Founder of Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Colin Angle, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Co-Founder iRobot
Jeff Taylor, Founder of Monster.com and Eons.com
Carl Schramm, President and CEO, Kauffman Foundation
Amy Stursberg, Executive Director, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Leonard Schlesinger, President Babson College
Susan Hockfield, President Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dennis Berkey, President Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Jack Wilson, President University of Massachusetts
Robert Brown, President Boston University
Michael Greeley, Chair of NE Venture Capital Association, Founder of Flybridge Partners
Hemant Taneja, Co-Chairman NE Clean Energy Council, Managing Director General Catalyst Partners
Rich Kivel, Chairman MIT Enterprise Forum
Ken Morse, Founding Managing Director, MIT Entrepreneurship Center
Joe Hadzima, Founding Judge MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition
Mike Roberts, Executive Director Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship (Harvard Business School)
Sara Spalding, Senior Director of Microsoft's New England Research and Development Center
Tim Rowe, Founder and CEO Cambridge Innovation Center

MassChallenge Team Background 

John Harthorne, Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Senior Consultant, Bain & Co
2007 MBA, MIT Sloan School of Management
Winner of 2007 MIT $100K Business Plan Competition (Robopsy)
Granted 2007 Patrick J. McGovern Award for impact on quality and visibility of entrepreneurship at MIT
Lead Organizer 2007 MIT $100K Global Startup Workshop
- World's premier conference on how to foster entrepreneurship via supportive infrastructure and catalytic events

Akhil Nigam, Founder and President

Senior Consultant, Bain & Co
2007 MBA, Harvard Business School
Founding team member 100-person software startup with successful exit
Valedictorian at Cooper Union College following full scholarship

David Constantine, Founder and Chief Operating Officer

Lead engineer and developer of medical devices
3 years experience in fast paced start-up environments
B.S. Trinity College with major in Biomedical Engineering & minor in Russian
Graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA

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Visit our website at www.masschallenge.org

Sent to hwr2@duke.edu. Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Forward to a Friend

--
Howie Rhee, MBA
Managing Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Office A236
919-617-1123 Google Voice / Mobile
919-660-1929 Office

Learn more about Entrepreneurship at Duke - www.EntrepreneurshipAtDuke.com
and read our Duke Entrepreneurship Manual - www.dukeven.com.
Twitter: @EshipAtDuke

Passed from our alum Ferol Vernon.

Howie

I wanted to pester you for help. We're seeking applicants for this
cool internship opportunity -
http://www.viget.com/careers/product-manager-future-web-entrepreneur-internship/

Basically, we're looking for someone with the energy, interest, and
know-how to help us take an internal product (http://speakerrate.com/)
to the next level. We have it in our minds that a web-savvy MBA type
(actual MBA student or mature undergrad) would be the ideal fit. We
think of it as the coolest job/internship we have available, but we're
not getting particularly awesome applicants. I'd love your help if
you know anyone who might be interested or if, maybe, you know anyone
at Fuqua who might have tabs on cool kids.

I know, unfortunately, that the best people are already scooped for
the summer. I figure it can't hurt to ask around and spread the word.

Thanks!

Best,

Emily

--
Emily W. Bloom
Regional Director, Viget Labs
We build web business. Learn more: http://www.viget.com
This email may include confidential information. Please do not share
unless we agree otherwise.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Fwd: Need your help to reach high-impact startups

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Fwd: Entrepreneurial Opportunity to pass around