OSU campuses field several winners in Governor’s Cup

A team from OSU-Oklahoma City placed first in the Small Business Division competition at the annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup contest last week while a team from OSU in Stillwater placed second in the High Growth Graduate Division, OSU-Tulsa won an interview award, and three students from OSU took home individual honors.

The Governor’s Cup requires student teams to identify a concept, research the market, write a business plan and present it before a panel of judges. Winning teams emerged from two days of oral competition at the PHF Conference Center in Oklahoma City.

Team RxOmni from OSU-OKC claimed $10,000 as Small Business Division first place winner with an innovative software concept developed to alert pharmacists to possible adverse drug interactions. Team leader of RxOmni was Kris Monier, and team members were Angela Davis, Angela Estevez, Herbert Foncham, Lori Hasty and Mayra Tello.  Amber Hefner is the team’s adviser.

High Growth Division teams were required to write and present business plans around concepts that show the potential for rapid job and revenue growth. The team from OSU in Stillwater, R2R Technologies, placed second and won $10 ,000 in prize money.

In addition, Fash Fadaei from OSU was among three students awarded $1,000 each for delivering winning pitches during the oral presentations portion of the contest. Fadaei’s presentation was for Medishine in the High Growth Graduate category.

Jerry Powers and Timothy Whitley from OSU were among three winners of $5,000 each as recipients of the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Paulsen Award scholarships.

High Growth Division teams also participated in a one-on-one Interview with a national industry expert. The experts selected the team in their category in which students displayed knowledge of their concept, market and displayed competency across the team. Winning Interview teams earned $1,000 each. Infinite Composites from OSU-Tulsa and Medishine from OSU in Stillwater were among the winners.

The top two teams in the High Growth Graduate and Undergraduate divisions advance to compete for more than $118,000 against teams from Arkansas and Nevada in the Tri-State Competition May 20-22 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Governor’s Cup trophies were presented to winners by Gov. Fallin. Veteran Oklahoma City newscaster Ed Murray was emcee of the event.

More than 1,200 students from 31 Oklahoma campuses have participated in the nine years of the Governor’s Cup competition, writing business plans around nearly 400 innovative ideas and competing for more than $1.2 million in cash awards, scholarships and fellowships.

The Governor’s Cup is underwritten by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and more than two dozen local sponsors. It is managed by i2E, Inc.

“For the ninth straight year, emerging entrepreneurs across Oklahoma have grasped the concepts necessary to startup a business and pitch the concept for investment dollars,” said Sarah Seagraves, i2E’s Senior Vice President for Marketing and manager of the competition.

“We’re especially proud that so many students at 2-year and regional campuses around the state answered the challenge to write and pitch business plans around innovative small business concepts,” Seagraves said. “It was indicative of the true talent we have in our future business leaders.”

i2E receives funding from a variety of federal, state and private sources, including the federal Economic Development Administration, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the City of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the Presbyterian Health Foundation and the Oklahoma Business Roundtable.

2013 GOVERNOR’S CUP WINNERS

Small Business Division

First place, $10,000: RxOmni, Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City

Second place, $8,000: J-Paxers, Rogers State University

Third place, $4,000: Revolutionary Transportation, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College

High Growth Graduate Division

First place, $20,000: EchoCharge, University of Tulsa

Second place, $10,000: R2R Technologies, Oklahoma State University

Third place, $5,000: Turtle One, University of Tulsa

High Growth Undergraduate Division

First place, $20,000: Code Sooq, University of Tulsa

Second place, $10,000: FieldFocus, University of Oklahoma

Third place, $5,000: Animal Analytics, University of Oklahoma

Pitch Winners, $1,000 each

Small Business Division: Bryce Hall, Rogers State University

High Growth Graduate Division: Fash Fadaei, Oklahoma State University

High Growth Undergraduate Division: Susan Moring, University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Business Roundtable Paulsen Award winners, $5,000 each

Andrea McKinney, East Central University

Jerry Powers, Oklahoma State University

Timothy Whitley, Oklahoma State University

For more information, contact Governor’s Cup competition Manager Sarah Seagraves at (405) 813-2403 or visit www.okgovernors.cup.com