The John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition will take place during the
annual UW College of Business Entrepreneurship Summit April 26. Pictured here is last
year’s first-place winner, Lev'Sonic owner Levente Pap (second from right), accepting
his check winnings along with Associate Professor and Management-Marketing Department
Chair Grant Lindstrom, former college Dean Sanjay Putrevu, UW President Laurie Nichols,
Mary Garland of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation and Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship
and Innovation Corey Billington. (UW Photo)
Current and potential entrepreneurs from throughout Wyoming are invited to the University
of Wyoming College of Business’s annual Entrepreneurship Summit Thursday, April 26,
at UW’s Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.
“Our College of Business is proud to encourage entrepreneurship across the state of
Wyoming, and we are ready to continue driving the diversification of our economy with
competitions like this and new initiatives like the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship,”
says Steve Russell, assistant dean for strategic initiatives, marketing and student
recruitment.
During the summit, panelists will speak about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship;
speakers will talk about innovation; and networking opportunities will allow entrepreneurs
to connect with investors. In addition, finalists in the annual John P. Ellbogen $50K
Entrepreneurship Competition will pitch their business ideas.
Mindie Kaplan, founder/CEO of Rated VR, will speak at the UW College of Business Entrepreneurship
Summit April 26. (Mindie Kaplan Photo)
“We have watched many great ideas come into our college through the Ellbogen $50K
competition and are enthusiastic about the progress that these top 10 teams have made,”
Russell says. “We are thankful for the support we have received from entrepreneurial
individuals and entrepreneurial organizations like the John P. Ellbogen Foundation
and First Interstate Bank.”
Mindie Kaplan, founder/CEO of Rated VR, serves as the keynote speaker for this year’s
summit. Kaplan is a serial entrepreneur, brand consultant, tech wizard and VR/AR specialist.
UW President Laurie Nichols will provide opening and closing remarks during the summit.
Russell says anyone interested in entrepreneurship -- from high school students and
teachers, to current and potential entrepreneurs and investors, to UW faculty, students
and staff -- is welcome at the summit. Guests can attend the portions of the summit
they are able to and are most interested in. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included
in this free, all-day event with advanced registration. To learn more about the Entrepreneurship
Summit, visit www.uwyo.edu/business/entrepreneurship.
