Review Journal report:

A team from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas took first place Friday in the state’s Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup collegiate business plan competition, aimed at helping young entrepreneurs launch a startup company.

"We’ve known each other for a long time and had this great idea," said Kyle George, one of the team members for Waste Alternatives Transformation Technologies. "This competition forced us to find the motivation to tie it all together."

The Governor’s Cup is intended to encourage college students to develop commercially viable business models using technology being developed in universities.

The WATTs team, which won a $20,000 prize to help launch their new business, included college students Keeton Little, a business major, and Josh Beilin, a hotel management major.

"We did it the most natural way we could, and this is what came out of it," George said.

George’s team developed a business plan aimed at producing clean energy and energy products from municipal, commercial and industrial wastes. Their business model would also help reduce landfill needs in local municipalities.

The team members plan to pitch their idea to small municipalities in the area and get their idea put into action.

In addition to the first place prize, the WATTs team also won the Nevada Commission on Economic Development Commissioner’s Award, worth $2,500. Co-sponsored by Sierra Pacific Power Co., the NCED award recognizes the business plan that best addresses rural Nevada’s economic development needs.

The Governor’s Cup, presented by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, awarded more than $100,000 in prizes to the state’s top student entrepreneurs.

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Governor’s Cup Undergraduate Winners

1^st Place - $20,000 - WATTs - Waste Alternatives Transformation Technologies - UNLV

Waste-Alternative Transformation Technologies, LLC (WATTs) was developed to provide a holistic approach to the waste management and energy issues facing modern urban communities.  By utilizing a multi-faceted approach that maximizes usable products extracted from municipal, commercial and industrial waste, WATTs will reduce the ecological burden on traditional landfills while producing clean, sustainable energy and energy products that do not rely upon fossil fuel sources.

Team Members
· Keeton Little - Economics
· Josh Beilin - Hotel
· Kyle George - Chemistry

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Janet Runge

2^nd Place - $10,000 - Wolfpack Works - UNR

Wolfpack Works grew from a desire of UNR students to utilize their engineering education to develop an innovative commercial product that would directly improve the quality of life for individuals with communication disorders a comprehensive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.

Team Members
· Nhan Diep - Computer & Information Engineering
· Del Jackson - Biochemistry / Computer Science
· Scotty Jones - Computer & Information Engineering
· Tyler Kayser – Computer Science

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Sergiu Dascalu, Dr. Leah Skladany, Dr. Gary Valiere

3^rd Place - $5,000 - KG BioSolutions - Sierra Nevada College

KG BioSolutions is a company offering a self-sufficient co-gen product marketed towards restaurants. The fully automated system will process crude vegetable oil at the push of a button and then burn the processed biodiesel in an industrial generator providing supplemental electricity to the restaurant on location.

Team Members
· Aaron Kerson - Entrepreneurship
· Seth Gunsauls - Business Management & Entrepreneurship

Faculty Advisor - Mr. Richard Normington

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Governor’s Cup Graduate WINNERS

1^st Place - $20,000 - Mobile Business Solutions - UNLV

Transform how all paper based mobile businesses do business. By using cellular technology and a website to make all transactions that were previously duplicated by both field staff and office staff instantaneous and error free. Starting with the Locksmith industry because of connections on our team.

Team Members
· Lucien Paet - MBA-New Venture Management
· Amanda French
· David Schnell-Davis - MBA
· Ekaterina Tchompalova

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Janet Runge

2^nd Place - $10,000 - Go Green Outdoors - UNR

Go Green Outdoors, LLC connects people to green culture, green businesses and a green way of life. We are an online resource for green culture news, information and conversation. We provide daily updates of environmental and outdoor recreation news as well as a guide to green products and services. We also feature a social media platform that allows users to stay in touch with their friends.

Team Members
· Allan Warren - Journalism
· Kamila Pawlik - Journalism
· Ann Marie Vollstedt - Engineering
· Colby Stott - Business

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Michael Edward Lenert & Mary Jurkonis

3^rd Place - $5,000 - More Water Company - UNR

More Water Company uses Atmospheric Water Generation technology to produce drinking water from the air. The company will produce water regionally to sell into local markets diminishing the reduction of natural resources such as lakes and streams and reducing pollutants caused by transportation.

Team Members
· Bernie Leas - MBA
· Kelsey Azcarate - MBA
· Gina Distaso - MBA
· Ben Larson

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Gary Valiere

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Lt. Governor’s Award Winners

Undergraduate Winner - $5,000

KG BioSolutions - Sierra Nevada College

KG BioSolutions is a company offering a self-sufficient co-gen product marketed towards restaurants. The fully automated system will process crude vegetable oil at the push of a button and then burn the processed biodiesel in an industrial generator providing supplemental electricity to the restaurant on location.

Team Members
· Aaron Kerson - Entrepreneurship
· Seth Gunsauls - Business Management & Entrepreneurship

Faculty Advisor - Mr. Richard Normington

Graduate Winner - $5,000

Bio-Grounds LLC - UNR

Bio-grounds LLC is turning waste streams to profit streams. Our company uses spent coffee grounds to produce high quality eco-friendly and low cost biodiesel.

Team Members
· Jason Strull - MSE
· Case Egan -
· Gabriel George Rojas - MSE

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Mano Misra

_____________________________________

NCED Commissioners’ Award Winner - $2,500

WATTs - Waste Alternatives Transformation Technologies - UNLV

Waste-Alternative Transformation Technologies, LLC (WATTs) was developed to provide a holistic approach to the waste management and energy issues facing modern urban communities.  By utilizing a multi-faceted approach that maximizes usable products extracted from municipal, commercial and industrial waste, WATTs will reduce the ecological burden on traditional landfills while producing clean, sustainable energy and energy products that do not rely upon fossil fuel sources.

Team Members
· Keeton Little - Economics
· Josh Beilin - Hotel
· Kyle George - Chemistry

Faculty Advisor - Dr. Janet Runge

_____________________________________

NCET Faculty Award Winners

Dr. Janet Runge - UNLV

Dr. Gary Valiere - UNR

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Join in Celebrating Nevada’s Future Entrepreneurs.

2008 DONALD W. REYNOLDS GOVERNOR’S CUP

Collegiate Business Plan Competition Awards Luncheon

April 25, 2008 - Green Valley Ranch, Las Vegas
Networking and Registration - 11:00 am
Luncheon and Awards – Noon to 1:30 pm
Reception for Student and Faculty - 2 pm

Tables of Eight are $750 and Individual Tickets are $100

For more information visit www.govcupnevada.com.
To purchase tickets, contact Emily Lowe at (775) 313-7171

Presented by Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Complete details on each team here

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