Eighty KU students from across the university submitted business plans for the first Mark L. Morris New Venture Development Award program organized by the School of Business. Two KU Department of Design students, Jana Silverman and Ann Fitzgerald, earned the top award for their plan.
“We were honored to compete and win in this competition,” said Fitzgerald. “Jana and I have spent over 500 hours developing and refining our business concept and design of a unique shower chair that reduces the medical stigma of aging, under our company name, Silver-Gerald.”
Ten finalists were chosen to present their plans before a panel of judges comprised of venture capitalists, company executives and financiers. To help research and start their businesses, the top ten plans received $200 and the top four received an additional $2,000 each. Fitzgerald and Silverman were awarded an additional $5,000 for the grand prize, providing them with a total of $7,200 toward startup-costs Runner-up winners in the competition included Brooks Andrew Morgan, Andrew Christopher Langford and Adam Hofmann.
“Each of the student participants exemplified entrepreneurial behavior with the creation of a compelling new venture concept and a well-disciplined business plan,” said Wallace W. Meyer, Jr., Director of Entrepreneurship Programs with KU’s School of Business and creator of this competition.
The Morris New Venture Development Award program was funded by a $250,000 gift to KU Endowment from Morgan Creek Capital Management, Chapel Hill, N.C., in honor of Topeka veterinarian Mark L. Morris Jr., who died in early 2007. Morris attended KU from 1952 to 1954.
The competition will continue as an annual event open to all KU undergraduate students.
Applications for the 2009 competition will be accepted this fall. For more details, visit http://www.business.ku.edu/facultyresearchcenter-competition
Pictured in photo, left to right: Dennis Miner (judge, Morgan Creek), Mark Jabara (judge, Gold Media Group), Wally Meyer (judge, KU Business School), Ann Fitzgerald (winner), Jana Silverman (winner), Bob Taylor (judge, Executive AirShare), Brooks Morgan (finalist), Andrew Langford (finalist), Adam Hofmann (finalist), David Morris (judge, ZuPreem).
