As I looked up from my business plan reading chores yesterday, I saw an email from the business school at Rice University announcing that this year’s Rice Business Plan competition is setting a record with more than $1 million in prize money.
Congratulations to Brad Burke and his team for building this competition up in just a few years to the point where it’s rivaling the University of Texas’ Moot Corp, the previously uncontested Super Bowl of business plan contests. Between Moot Corp in Austin next month and the Rice contest in Houston next week, Texas wins the award as the capital of business plan contests.
I’m delighted to be a judge at both of these contests, as well as the University of Oregon New Venture Competition later this week in Portland, Oregon. I’ve already read my four plans for the Oregon contest and just finished six plans for the Rice one. I’ve read about space travel, household fly worms, deep-sea farming, and many other fascinating new businesses. I’ve seen some very good business plans and some not-so-good plans. I’m looking forward to presentations, questions and answers, and the whole process. It’s going to be fun.
Let the games begin.
(Image: istockphoto.com)
Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.
