The 22^nd annual New Venture Championship hosted by the University of Oregon’s Charles H. Lundquist College of Business announced the four teams that would be advancing to the final rounds of the graduate-level entrepreneurship competition. After half hour formal presentations to a panel of judges, each of the 16 teams received extensive feedback on business plan, presentation clarity, and potential scope of the venture among other critiques.

The four teams include (in no particular order): AGcerez from Thailand’s Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Awair from Stanford University, Nutri Food from Thailand’s Thammasat University, and Picasolar from the University of Arkansas. Each team has a team biography and profile, as well as links to their elevator pitch on the 2013 Competitors site.

The 12 teams that were not selected to advance to the final round will be allotted time to create a “quick pitch” in which they are given the chance to sell their venture to another panel of judges in the OEN Lightning Round. During this pitch the teams are not allowed to use any visual aids or technology to help sell their idea. The judges will give them critiques and the teams will then be allowed to re-pitch their idea after adjusting their presentations accordingly. A prize package of $12,000 will be awarded amongst the teams pitching during this round.

These teams will move onto the final round where they will pitch their venture one last time to a panel of esteemed investors and business professionals. They will be asked many extensive questions and one lucky team will be rewarded $25,000 and the title of 2013 New Venture Champion.

As a way to create buzz for our upcoming event in April – we wanted to find a way that spread the word that reflected our values as the New Venture Championship. Reverse graffiti is a form of green advertising that showcases our affinity for innovation as well as our goal of always thinking outside of the box. We wanted to get the attention of students on the University of Oregon campus, as well as Portland citizens, business owners, and avid Twitter users. The use of our hashtag #whatsyourventure in our graffiti will help generate buzz for the event as well as inspire people to consider what their own ventures are – personally, professionally, or financially.

The theory behind reverse graffiti is that the graffiti artist’s – or in our case, advertiser’s – best weapons are a high-powered hose and a very, very dirty sidewalk. A concise message with a call-to-action also helps. The effect is similar to that of actual graffiti, it is text or graphics that are displayed in public areas, except that instead of using spray paint or Sharpie to adhere the message, reverse graffiti is essentially Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at work. Using a stencil, the sidewalk or other dirty surface is cleaned until the graphic or text shows through. Unlike traditional graffiti work, reverse graffiti is legal and completely environmentally safe.

Our own reverse graffiti will be seen throughout areas of downtown Portland, OR starting the weekend of March 23^rd. We welcome the people of Portland to keep their eyes out for both our logo and hashtag #whatsyourventure, as well as join us for the competition on April 4^th through 6^th.

Other names used to describe reverse graffiti: green advertising, environmental graffiti, dust tagging, clean tagging, etc.

For examples, visit: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/35-greatest-works-of-reverse-graffiti/1949?image=1

The 2012 NVC Finalist Announcement took place at Grand Central Bowling. After two days of tough competition it was a welcomed chance for competitors to get some fresh air and stretch their legs away from the competition site.

The night began with the announcement of the four finalist teams that would soon be vying to be the 2012 NVC Champion. Everyone was eager to learn who had made the grade, and the casual atmosphere made certain that any anxiety was at a minimum.

Before long all of the competitors, advisors, and guests were throwing spares and strikes, but the gutter balls often brought out the biggest laughs during the round-robin bowling tournament.

The start of the 21^st annual New Venture Championship, an international investment competition, kicked off on April 6 at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland. Teams from across the globe are all in one place for one reason: turn their dream into a reality. The winner receives $25,000 in seed capital and an automatic birth into the 2012 Venture Lab Competition.

The competition began with a friendly expose’ of the different ventures during the Tektronix Trade Show. Teams proudly manned their stands while conversing with one another and the attendees. The room was lively and so were the spirits. For such a high caliber of competition, it was great to see the competitors thoroughly enjoying themselves while maintaining business savvy.

As the Tektronix Trade Show concluded, the elevator pitch segment began. Teams were selected in random order and given one minute to present their venture to an audience of judges, potential investors and entrepreneurs. After a light introduction, each team selected a representative to present their venture in a compelling way in only one minute. This segment provided the teams with a creditable introduction to the competition and an insightful preview for what is to come in the following rounds.

            Friday April 7, transitions into to the semi-final rounds, in which each team presents and defends their venture in front of a panel of esteemed judges. Each venture is given forty minutes to present their business plan as judges may interject their own questions and concerns throughout the presentation. As the competition progresses so does the competitive nature of the event. Stay tuned for major happenings of the semi-final rounds on Friday, April 7 as the competition continues.

FlexLeg at Trade Show

Networking at the Trade Show

EyeQ Delivers Elevator Pitch

Elevator Pitch

Preparing for Elevator Pitch

Innovostics at Trade Show

Written by Taylor Stafford