Congratulations to the 2008 Business Plan Competition winners!

We had 89 student teams apply to the competition by sending us their 5 to 7 page executive summaries. Eighty-four judges screened that group down to 34 teams at the beginning of April. At the Investment Round in late-April, those 34 teams pitched their hearts out to about 150 judges. Sixteen teams advanced to the Sweet 16 and yesterday the Sweet 16 teams gave it their all and presented to the judges. Four incredible teams made it to the Final Round where they presented to seven judges. See below for the results!!

We would like to thank the judges (all 306 of them!), sponsors, volunteers, faculty, and our colleagues at Seattle University, Seattle Pacific, Gonzaga, Pacific Lutheran, Central Washington, UW Bothell, Washington State, WSU-TriCities, Western Washington, and Whitworth College who made the competition possible.

$25,000 Real Networks Grand Prize
Impel NeuroPharma has invented a new direct-to-brain drug delivery technology and is commercializing it to treat chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, and brain cancer using both already approved pharmaceuticals and new biotechnology products.
UW Team: Michael Hite, MBA; John Hoekman, PhD student in pharmaceutics; and Peter Olagunju, MBA

$10,000 Herbert B. Jones Foundation Second Prize
Athleon provides private online locker rooms for competitive sports teams. These help coaches communicate with and prepare their athletes off the field so they play better on game day.
UW Team: Brent Lamphier, BA Business ’07; Ryan Kosai, BS Electrical Engineering ’07; and Dan Rubinsky, MBA ‘07

Herbert B. Jones Foundation $5,000 Finalist Prize
Hybiscus Technologies has developed a fundamentally new semiconductor manufacturing process that enables the integration of thousands of micron-scale optical and electronic components onto inexpensive substrates. Hybiscus will use this technology to address the need for low cost chip-to-chip optical interconnects.
UW Team: Sam Kim, PhD candidate in electrical engineering, Lucia Crump Kim, and Edward Stroman

Herbert B. Jones Foundation $5,000 Finalist Prize
Wugaboo Entertainment develops unique character brands that educate and entertain young children at home, school, and daycare. Our character-based products encourage children to exercise their imaginations.
UW Team: Ryan Bergsman, MBA; Daniel Rossi, MBA; Katheryn Leonard, MBA; David Ray, L.L.M. Intellectual Property; Kristen Bergsman, Masters of Education; and Link Dyrdahl

BEST IDEA PRIZES
The BEST IDEA prizes were created to reward teams in the Business Plan Competition for their exceptional work in several different categories. The teams receiving these prizes were selected by a special group of judges during the Investment Round. This year we gave away SIX $5K Best Idea Prizes.

OVP Best Technology Idea
Hybiscus Technologies has developed a fundamentally new semiconductor manufacturing process that enables the integration of thousands of micron-scale optical and electronic components onto inexpensive substrates. Hybiscus will use this technology to address the need for low cost chip-to-chip optical interconnects.
UW Team: Sam Kim, PhD candidate in electrical engineering, Lucia Crump Kim, and Edward Stroman

Keiretsu Forum Best Consumer Product Idea
Athleon provides private online locker rooms for competitive sports teams. These help coaches communicate with and prepare their athletes off the field so they play better on game day.
UW Team: Brent Lamphier, BA Business ’07; Ryan Kosai, BS Electrical Engineering ’07; and Dan Rubinsky, MBA ‘07

Summit Law Group Best Innovation Idea
Impel NeuroPharma has invented a new direct-to-brain drug delivery technology and is commercializing it to treat chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, and brain cancer using both already approved pharmaceuticals and new biotechnology products.
UW Team: Michael Hite, MBA; John Hoekman, PhD student in pharmaceutics; and Peter Olagunju, MBA

DLA Piper Best Service/Retail Idea
Energizing Solutions works to significantly reduce energy costs for mid- and large-size manufacturers by eliminating electrical inefficiencies. We lead manufacturers out of the red by thinking green.
UW Team: Anthony Simon, BS Electrical Engineering; Brian Pepin, BS Electrical Engineering; and Marc Ramme, MBA

Herbert B. Jones Foundation Best Nonprofit/Socially Responsible Idea
Krochet Kids International is a nonprofit organization that provides crochet products made in developing nations to US consumers. The profits accumulated from product sales are put back into the communities from which they came.
UW & Whitworth Team: Kohl Crecelius, BA International Business (UW); Ryan Thomas, BA Business (UW); Leah Hartanov, BA Elementary Education (Whitworth); Travis Hartanov, BA Business (Whitworth); and Ryan Motley

Heller Ehrman Best Clean-Tech Idea
Voltan Biofuel provides biodiesel producers with access to a pioneering, high-oil producing algae that can meet their critical need for a lower cost and environ-mentally friendly source of oil.
UW Team: Eric Gertsman, MBA; Carrie Stearns, MBA; and Rose Ann Cattolico