UA teams win top awards at business plan competition

Winners of the 2013 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition were announced today at a luncheon hosted at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

The event is managed by The Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group.

This year, 47 teams submitted business plans from 13 colleges and universities from across Arkansas for a chance to win a share of the $154,000 prize pool.

The 2013 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup winners are:
Undergraduate AT&T Elevator Pitch Award – $2,000
TrustedWills.com
Ouachita Baptist University
Team member: Lindsey Fowler
Team advisor: Bryan McKinney

Graduate AT&T Elevator Pitch Award – $2,000
IsoLabs
Harding University
Team members: Jason Grace, Claire Mowrer, Connor Galloway, Michael Kruse, Gary Torres
Team advisor: William Oliver

Undergraduate Delta Plastics Innovation Award – $5,000
LifeB
Harding University
Team members: Ross Tuneberg, Sofia Lopez, Matthew Irvine, Emilio Espino, James Robbins
Team advisor: Allen Frazier, Ph.D.

Graduate Delta Plastics Innovation Award – $5,000
EverClean Coating Solutions, LLC
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Team members: Corey Thompson, Bill Ryan, Manish Phogat
Team advisor: Carol Reeves, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Arkansas Farm Bureau Agriculture Award 1st Place – $6,000
Catch-22
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Team members: James Rutherford, Ryan Guinee, Robert Grasby, Brandon Burroughs
Team advisor: Richard Crane

Undergraduate Arkansas Farm Bureau Agriculture Award 2nd Place – $4,000
Smart Soil
John Brown University
Team members: Maritta Mitchell, Stephanie Reno, Michael Shaffer, Elizabeth Varela Reyes
Team co-advisors: Eva Fast and Mike Kennelley, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Business Plan Winners
1st Place – $25,000
Catch-22
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Team members: James Rutherford, Ryan Guinee, Robert Grasby, Brandon Burroughs
Team advisor: Richard Crane

2nd Place – $15,000
eScout
Ouachita Baptist University
Team members: Connor Burke, Jason Cantwell, Sarah McKimmey
Team advisor: Phil Rice, Ph.D.

3rd Place – $10,000
Innovative Medical Sensor Tech.
Harding University
Team members: Jeremiah Vivio, Paula Morales, Cory Miller, Hayden Shirley
Team advisor: Allen Frazier, Ph.D.

Graduate Business Plan Winners
1st Place – $25,000
Picasolar
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Team members: Trish Flanagan, Matthew Young, Michael Miller, Seth Shumate
Team advisor: Carol Reeves, Ph.D.

2nd Place – $15,000
HomeDx
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Team members: Calvin Smith, Will Swearingen, Max Mahler, Daniel Cherry, Audra Mazzeo
Team advisor: Carol Reeves, Ph.D.

3rd Place – $10,000
EverClean Coating Solutions, LLC
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Team members: Corey Thompson, Bill Ryan, Manish Phogat
Team advisor: Carol Reeves, Ph.D.

First and second place winners of the undergraduate and graduate teams will compete against the top two teams from Nevada and Oklahoma for the Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Award in May, where they will be competing to win a share of the $118,000 prize pool.