Cash prizes, plus the opportunity to get real-world feedback from area business leaders—these were the awards teams of entrepreneurship students competed for in the annual graduate Venture Quest this past December. Each team's presentation was followed by a rapid-fire Q&A with contest judges. The winning project? VisiRay, a unique pest-detection technology presented by Walther Buecklers, Andrew Cook, Matt Eskue, and Orit Ofr. Runner-up was ShadyPeeps, a student-launched company that has already sold 3,500 pairs of university-themed sunglasses.
Microfinance, the extension of small loans (usually $100–$300) given to the poor to start income-generating programs, has become an popular way for corporations large and small to make a difference in society.
There were some hairy faces around the University of Oregon last month—including UO President Richard Lariviere—as business students took the leading on organizing Movember on campus
Taking a cue from the success of "I Love My Ducks" on YouTube, our Oregon MBA students took a break from studying to create a viral video of their own. The video "Oregon MBA: Ride Your Bike There" provides an unfiltered perspective from some students about what they feel are unique qualities of our MBA program: active lifestyles, sustainability, entrepreneurial, camaraderie. Sounds kind of like the college's mission statement. It's also a fun video for alumni, reminding them of their college days.
If you've watched Paula Deen on the Food Network cooking up some holiday treats, you may have noticed her tin measuring spoons and cups. Crosby & Taylor (formerly Tin Woodsman) of Eugene makes those items, and recently the firm asked our business students to come up with some ideas for extending its demographic reach. The company acted on the students' recommendation to combine kitchen and Christmas products. The end result was a set of holiday measuring spoons featured by Deen in her November/December 2010 magazine as a great gift idea.
"After taking my official visit, I learned about their sports marketing program, and they jumped to the top of my list," said five-star football recruit Anthony Wallace, explaining his decision to join the Ducks next year. The Lundquist College of Business's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, to which Wallace referred, is just one example of the melding of academics and athletics at the University of Oregon.
Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship students pilled into vans October 14-15 to attend the Bend Venture Conference with more than 300 of the region's top entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders. Students observed, asked questions, and participated in the startup process as new ventures competed for $200,000 in prize money. "Most students are energized by the action and almost always leave with an 'I didn't realize. . .' observation," said Terry Sebastian, the managing director of.
A pioneer in the communications industry, Don Tykeson '51 built a small television station in Eugene into a multimillion-dollar, nationwide communications company now owned by AT&T. He was also a founding director of C-SPAN. The University of Oregon honored the business alum on October 13 with a 2010 Distinguished Service Award. Tykeson has served on the college's Business Advisory Council for years and is an actively engaged supporter of numerous UO programs and initiatives.
Legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian, "Tark the Shark," read and reviewed an early copy. Now, others can get their hands on the new book from Ehrman Giustina Professor of Marketing Lynn Kahle. Consumer Behavior Knowledge for Effective Sports and Event Marketing gives researchers and professionals alike insights into how and why consumers build sport into their lives and delivers proven tools to build relationships and brand affinity with consumers through sports and events.
