Entrepreneurs Prosper in Innovation Contest

Two teams sponsored by The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UT Dallas finished “in the money” at the CEDIC New Venture Championship competition held in Arlington on March 26-27.

The competition, held in connection with the World’s Best Technology Showcase, was sponsored by the Center for Economic Development, Innovation and Commercialization, a cooperative initiative of the 12 universities making up the Big 12 Conference.

First place and a $10,000 prize went to a medical device company, MicroTransponder Inc., headed by Will Rosellini. Rosellini received his MBA from the School of Management at UT Dallas in 2003 and is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

MicroTransponder is commercializing a wireless neurostimulation device for the treatment of peripheral nerve pain, based on UT Dallas technology originally developed by Dr. Larry Cauller, an associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

With the first-place finish, MicroTransponder also received an invitation to compete in the prestigious 2008 Global Moot Corp Competition sponsored by UT Austin. Dr. Joseph Picken was the faculty adviser.

Third place and a $2,000 prize went to Pungo Inc., developers of  “Ref for the Deaf.” The product, which won the top prize in last fall’s UT Dallas Business Idea Competition, was  represented in the CEDIC competition by MBA students Tim Gutschlag and Jonathon Hoak.  Robert Robb was the faculty adviser.

Pungo is developing a patented, portable, wearable vibrating device to alert deaf participants in sporting events to the referee’s whistle, buzzer or other signal used to signal a stoppage in play. The device is based on patented technology conceived by Celia Beron, currently an eighth-grade student in the Richardson Independent School District. Celia is the daughter of Kurt Beron, a Professor in the School of Economics, Political and Policy Sciences.

Teams from UT Austin, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State, New Mexico, Missouri, and Texas Tech were also represented in the competition.

The Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is designed to nurtures the devlopment of new ventures at UT Dallas. It is a collaboration of the schools of Arts and Humanities, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Engineering and Computer Sciences, Management, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

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