idea exchange
The Pitch
On their last day in Beijing, the students compete in
a business plan competition organized by the Smith
The Idea
Location
School and Peking University’s Guanghua School of
Send students on a “scavThe Robert H. Smith School
Management in China. Now in its ninth year, the
enger hunt” throughout
of Business at the University
competition includes students from Smith, GuangBeijing and Hong Kong
of Maryland in College Park
hua, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in
Haifa, and China’s Zhejiang University. Teams pitch
their ideas to judges—including Chinese entrepreneurs—
The Challenge
to win US$2,750 in prizes.
What combines the adventure of a scavenger
Some students from the
hunt with the pressure of a business plan
four schools form cross-culcompetition? The AdVENTURE Challenge:
tural teams for the competiChina, introduced at the Smith School in
tion. Throughout the semes2013. Held at the end of May, the program
ter, they collaborate over
sends MBA students to Hong Kong for three
NovoEd’s online learning and
collaboration platform.
days and to Beijing for four; while there, they
This spring, two students
complete a series of tasks. The challenge is
from
Smith and two from
a “cross between ‘The Amazing Race’ and
Students could earn one point by
Guanghua
won the $1,000
‘Shark Tank,’” says Elana Fine, managing
having their fortunes read in Hong
Kong’s
Temple
Street
Night
Market.
first
prize
for
their pitch to
director of the Smith School’s Dingman Cenbring
wireless
service to rural
ter for Entrepreneurship.
China.
Other
winning
ideas
included
a
mobile app
The challenge was inspired by a game created by Brent
offering
language
and
cultural
assistance
to travelGoldfarb, associate professor of management and entrepreers
and
a
platform
to
help
companies
hire
skilled
neurship, for his course in startups. Students complete chalworkers.
lenges related to refining their business plans and entrepreneurial skills. Each week, teams with the fewest points are
eliminated, their members absorbed into teams that remain.
The trip to China, which now concludes Goldfarb’s
The Switch
course, works in a similar manner. Students complete tasks
This year’s students seemed to get the most out of
that send them throughout both cities. This year, 20 stuthe customer discovery points, says Holly DeArmond,
dents participated.
associate director of the Dingman Center. “Many of
them ‘pivoted’ their business ideas based on interviews with Chinese citizens,” she says.
Points of Interest
Because the trip is only eight days, it has proven
Over the eight days, students can earn up to 40 points by
difficult for students to complete tasks focused on
completing tasks that fall into three categories. “Adventure”
both the culture and their startups, says DeArmond.
tasks include haggling with vendors or eating at restaurants
For that reason, in 2015, the scavenger hunt will
on their own. “Cultural” tasks include having their fortunes
focus solely on activities that help them refine their
told in a Hong Kong market or visiting the Great Wall of
business ideas. The course also will be opened to
China. “Pivot” tasks help them refine their startup ideas.
full-time and part-time MBA students.
These activities include interviewing customers, collecting
To read more about the challenge, visit www.
business cards, or asking questions on company visits. Those rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-excellence/dingmanin the lead mid-race might receive perks such as a private car center-entrepreneurship. Click on “Initiatives and
to drive them around the city for a day.
Programs.”
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September/October 2014
BizEd
FOTOH U NTE R /TH I N KSTOCK
Venture Culturalists