Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) November 09, 2015
Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Cupid's Cup Entrepreneurship Competition, presented by Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank. After ten successful years and tremendous growth, Cupid’s Cup enters a new chapter by partnering with a consortium of more than 20 top universities, business schools and entrepreneurship centers from across the country. The involvement of these institutions elevates Cupid’s Cup to a new level of prestige, as it continues to attract the brightest and most ambitious young minds.
As a thought leader and advocate of entrepreneurship, Plank continues to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit with his own success story. The name of the event is a nod to one of Plank’s first businesses – Cupid’s Valentine Rose Delivery – an enterprise that he started as a student at the University of Maryland to sell roses on campus. Those profits eventually became the seed money to launch Under Armour.
“Nothing energizes me more than meeting passionate young innovators who have the entrepreneurial drive and conviction to take a risk and start a business,” said Plank. “I am excited to expand the Cupid’s Cup competition to include some of the world’s best thinkers and to provide even more resources to help the next generation of leaders reach their potential.”
Cupid’s Cup aims to reach the top entrepreneurial minds in the country, and more importantly, to inspire and foster the community of college students and recent graduates who have already followed Plank’s lead and are running their own companies.
In addition to the longstanding partnership with the University of Maryland, the academic institutions participating in the new consortium include: Auburn University, Babson College, Boston College, Clemson University, Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, James Madison University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Temple University, Texas Tech University, University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California - Berkeley, University of Cincinnati, University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, University of Texas at Austin, University of Tennessee and University of Virginia.
The Cupid’s Cup participants will be competing for $100,000 in total cash prizes, access to Kevin Plank’s professional network and the prestigious Cupid’s Cup title.
The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at accredited colleges and universities, or recent alumni of those institutions who are 30 years old or younger. Applicants must be running a legal business entity that has demonstrated proof of traction. There is no fee to apply.
The application deadline is January 5, 2016. Validation Day (semi-finals) will be held on February 19, 2016 at Under Armour’s global headquarters in Baltimore, MD, with the final competition scheduled for April 7, 2016 at University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
To apply and learn more about Cupid's Cup, please go to http://www.cupidscup.com.
About Under Armour
Under Armour, the originator of performance footwear, apparel and equipment, revolutionized how athletes across the world dress. Designed to make all athletes better, the brand's innovative products are sold worldwide to athletes at all levels. The Under Armour Connected Fitness™ platform powers the world’s largest digital health and fitness community through a suite of applications: UA Record, MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.uabiz.com.
About Plank Industries
Plank Industries is a privately-held company with diversified holdings in commercial real estate, hospitality, food and beverage, venture capital and thoroughbred horseracing, all under the Sagamore group of brands. The company is based in Baltimore, MD, USA. Under the leadership of Tom Geddes, Managing Partner, Plank Industries serves as the family office and investment arm of Kevin A. Plank, founder, Chairman and CEO of Under Armour, Inc.
About Plank Foundation for Entrepreneurship
The Plank Foundation for Entrepreneurship (PFE) is a non-profit subsidiary of Plank Industries dedicated to fostering the American spirit of entrepreneurship in a new generation. The signature platform of PFE is Cupid’s Cup, a nationwide competition with a ten-year history of identifying and supporting extraordinary young entrepreneurs. PFE also supports entrepreneurship through nonprofit programs and events in Baltimore, particularly at City Garage (http://www.citygarage.vc).
