Kevin Plank, a former football player at the University of Maryland, was frustrated. Copious practices in the heat led to a rather uncomfortable sweat-filled T-shirt. In order rectify the problem, Plank decided to make a “superior T-shirt.” His idea formed into a multimillion-dollar corporation. Have you ever heard of Under Armour?

At the university, the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship provides resources for students to take their own business ideas to the next level, said Alla Corey, the Dingman Center’s program manager.

Once an idea is formed, students are welcome to walk-in to the Dingman Center, on the third floor of the business school, on Fridays between 11a.m. and 1 p.m. to meet with an advisor, Corey said.

“We make sure and provide a safe environment where students talk to advisors behind closed doors,” Corey said. She added that students of all majors are welcome, and that the ideas do not have to be well formulated.

Advisors give students feedback on whether their ideas are feasible, how to improve and build upon them and what their next step should be in becoming a true entrepreneur.

At the end of every month, five students are invited to participate in the Pitch Dingman Competition. They present their business endeavor to a panel of judges in a six-minute PowerPoint as they compete for a $2,500 prize.

The winners are then put into an “incubation program,” where they have monthly meetings with mentors and are required to report how they’ve spent their money.
“We don’t just give them money and throw them in the pool and tell them to swim,” Corey said.

Formed in 1986, the Dingman Center has been helping students achieve their business dreams through constant encouragement.

“Students are encouraged to not be afraid to fail,” Corey said.

The university can claim many successful entrepreneurs as its alums, such as UnderArmour founder Kevin Plank and College Magazine creator Amanda Nachman.
Who will be next?

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