Rhode Island Business Plan Competition Announces Oct. 29 Kick-off

PROVIDENCE -- (Oct. 14, 2009) -- The Rhode Island Business Plan Competition today announced that it will host a kick-off meeting on Thursday, Oct. 29, to introduce and explain the 2010 competition—and help prospective applicants prepare to compete for more than $130,000 in prizes.

The event, which is free to the public, will be held 5 – 7 p.m. at the Rhode Island Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Providence. Pre-registration is required and may be completed online at www.ri-bizplan.com.

“We’re looking forward to another tremendous year, especially as more people typically consider developing a new business during a recession,” said Competition Co-Chair Larry Davidson, principal with the Providence-based accounting firm of Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., Ltd.

“We also expect our new Green Track will encourage the creation of new companies to accelerate the development of the green economy in Rhode Island.”

The 2010 Competition will culminate next May when winners in all three tracks will be announced.

In addition to learning about changes in this year's competition, attendees at the Oct. 29 Kick-Off will hear from the winners of the 2009 competition: David Spenciner of BioIntraface, Inc., the Entrepreneur Track winner, and Charles Harding, of Runa, the Student Track winner.

Also, Brad Weinberg, managing partner of Shape Up The Nation, a winner in the 2007 competition, will speak on "From Business Plan to Profits," detailing how he and his team are building a profitable enterprise.

Following the presentations, everyone is invited to participate in a networking session.

Sponsors of the 2010 Competition

Sponsors of the 2010 Rhode Island Business Plan Competition include: Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., Ltd., Embolden Design, Johnson & Wales University, and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Also supporting the competition are: Business Development Company of Rhode Island, Brown University, Bryant University, Cherrystone Angel Group, CVS/Caremark, Federal Electronics, Inc., InsureMyTrip.com, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Providence Business News, Rhode Island Medical Society, Slater Technology Fund, Starkweather & Shepley, Tech Collective, The Mergis Group, University of Rhode Island, and Webster Bank, Ximedica.

Complete information, including rules, application procedures, guidelines, and business plan resources, is available at www.ri-bizplan.com.