John Brown University swept the Undergraduate Finals in the fourth-annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Tri-State business plan competition in Las Vegas, and a team from the University of Arkansas earned Second Place in Graduate Finals. The Arkansas teams were awarded First and Second Places in Undergraduate Finals and Second Place in Graduate Finals, which included cash prizes that can be used as funds to start their businesses. Faculty advisers also received cash awards of $2,500. Top honors at Tri-State went to: Graduate Division
- CerebroGen Pharmaceuticals – University of Oklahoma – First Place, $25,000
- CycleWood Solutions, LLC – University of Arkansas – Second Place, $15,000
Undergraduate Division
- Craftistas – John Brown University – First Place, $25,000
- Agricultural Food Systems – John Brown University – Second Place, $15,000
The Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup is a statewide business plan competition in Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma for undergraduate and graduate students that encourages competitors to put their entrepreneurial ideas through the rigors of planning and take them forward into start-up firms. The Tri-State Award is given to the teams from these states that successfully compete against each other for additional cash prizes. This year’s contest was held at Red Rock Casino & Resort in Las Vegas. Other teams from Arkansas competing in the Tri-State competition included:
- TiFiber, LLC from the University of Arkansas.
The 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Tri-State Awards and the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup in Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma have been made possible by a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, which is the sole sponsor for the 2011 Tri-State Awards. In Arkansas, the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation oversees the statewide competition. The AEAF is an affiliate of the Arkansas Capital Corporation.
