UA Team Turns Tears into Cash
by June 15, 2009 12:00 am 64 views
Four students at the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business have teamed together and turned an idea for a test using women’s tears to detect breast cancer into more than $85,000.
Three of the students — Jared Greer, Bessie Williams and Chris Elizer — are pursuing managerial MBAs, while the fourth, Jordan Greer, is an undergraduate honors student. The students won the money in five major business plan competitions, and are mentored by UA professor Carol Reeves. UAMS Bio Ventures, as well as more than 15 additional members of the business community, advised the team on its plan.
The students formed a medical diagnostic equipment company named Tears for Life LLC, which licenses technology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. Its screening tests for proteins found in tears to detect breast cancer.
The team’s biggest prize was the $25,000 it was awarded for winning first place at the Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Cup in Las Vegas.