February 27, 2000, Austin, TX— A
team of executive MBA students from The University of Texas at Austin won first
runner-up in the 12th Annual Graduate Business Plan Competition
sponsored by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of
Nebraska Lincoln on February 27.
The winner, WineBusiness.com,
presented a unique solution for supermarket wine departments, addressing their
need for improved customer service.The
solution is useful for both novice and sophisticated wine customers and
addresses in-store and Internet access.
“Our answer to wine buyer’s
frustration was enthusiastically received. We believe that a technology solution to address customer service
problems while increasing the supermarket’s revenues will be widely accepted,”
said Hank Tebbe, President of WineBusiness.com.
WineBusiness.com competed against MBA students from
23 universities across North America. The teams presented their business plans
to a judging panel of entrepreneurs, investors and professional service
providers involved in the new venture process.
WineBusiness.com wins $3,000. Team
members present included Hank Tebbe, Kathy Skinner, Elaine Durovey and Scott
Delaney, all currently enrolled in the UT Option II program. WineBusiness.com
was selected as a finalist in the Texas Moot Corp® Competition held
in December.
The first place prize went to the
University of Georgia for their Dermamax biotechnology products.
These patented products will deliver
site-specific drugs through the skin with 200% – 500% improvement over existing
products.The over-the-counter drugs
are in testing and will go to the FDA this year.The Georgia team was seeking round two financing for marketing
expenses.
Option II is a two-year program that allows
executives with five years of business experience to pursue an MBA while
continuing their regular job responsibilities. Ranked #11 in the country
by
US News & World Report, the
program builds on the extensive resources of The University of Texas at Austin
and the Texas Business School.
