Univ. of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship Marks 25 Years, Names New Board Chair, Members

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business kicked off its 25th year of helping students and regional entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into successful startups with a visit yesterday from benefactor Michael Dingman, an international investor, businessman and philanthropist. The center also named a new board chair, Mark Walsh, CEO and chairman of GeniusRocket, a leading provider of user-generated advertising media.

The Dingman Center appointed the following new members to the board: Miles Gilburne, managing member of ZG Ventures Inc.; Bill Greenblatt, founder and CEO of Sterling Infosystems and 1976 University of Maryland graduate; Elizabeth Sara, managing director of Best Marketing LLC; and Michael Schwab, co-president of D&H Distributing.

"Entrepreneurship is a key driver in the global economy and we remain committed to fostering business creation and research in this area," said G. "Anand" Anandalingam, dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business. "The Dingman Center spearheads our activity and is a great campus and regional resource, continuing the legacy Michael Dingman helped us create 25 years ago."

Dingman and his family met with the center's founders, campus leaders, former student scholars and current students. His visit incorporated a speech, during which he talked about international entrepreneurship and investing, and a student business pitch competition Dingman and his family judged to award $2,500 in seed funding. Dingman is president of Shipston Group Ltd., a diversified international holding company based in Nassau, Bahamas. He has operated profitable companies for over 40 years and is a former director of both Ford and Time Warner.

"Michael Dingman and his family have been great supporters of all of our activities, here and in China and Israel," said Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. "He and the other serial entrepreneurs that serve on our board and participate in activities help make our programs successful and give our students added perspective of what it takes to start and grow businesses."

Walsh has been actively involved with the Dingman Center for the past six years as an entrepreneur-in-residence and board member. He brings a career of perspective as a serial entrepreneur, business leader and investor. Prior to founding GeniusRocket, Walsh served as chairman and CEO of VerticalNet; senior vice president and corporate officer at America Online Inc.; president of GEnie, General Electric's online service; and director of new business development at Home Box Office (HBO). He first got into the online services business in 1986, serving as general manager or CEO of several internet and technology startups. Since 2000, Walsh has managed a small angel-investment fund, Ruxton Ventures. He graduated from Union college and received his MBA from Harvard.

The Smith School is ranked among the best in the nation for its entrepreneurship offerings, according to rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Entrepreneur magazine, The Princeton Review and Fortune Small Business. Each year, the Dingman Center sponsors international entrepreneurship experiences for students with a China Business Plan Competition in Beijing and a summer technology transfer program in Israel. The center also hosts the annual Cupid's Cup business competition, sponsored by alumnus Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour.

About the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship

The Dingman Center has been a hub of campus and regional entrepreneurial activity for 25 years. Among the Dingman Center's resources are its Capital Access Network (CAN), a pipeline that connects startups from regional tech councils, incubators and state-funded institutions with a network of more than 40 active, accredited angel investors and venture capitalists for early-stage capital. The center also helps lead the University of Maryland's Technology Transfer programs and provides MBA and undergraduate students at the Smith School with practical experiences and opportunities to pitch their business ideas, obtain feedback from experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence and access funding. More information is available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/dingman/.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. More information is available at http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/.

SOURCE Robert H. Smith School of Business