Student entrepreneur Jing Zhang wins Women Entrepreneur Award at the Rice Business Plan Competition
The Rice University Business Plan Competition is the world’s richest and largest graduate-level business plan competition with 42 teams from around the world competing for $1.3 million in cash and prizes.
In 2013, more than 600 applications were submitted. More than 130 corporate and private sponsors support the business plan competition. Venture capitalists and other investors from around the country volunteer their time to judge the competition, with the majority of the 250+ judges coming from the investment sector.
Jing Zhang, who recently completed her PhD in Prof. Chris Abell's group in the Department of Chemistry and cofounded AQDOT, was awarded the prestigious Women Entrepreneur Award worth $20,000 in the finale gala at the Westin Galleria Conference Centre Houston, Texas. Earlier in afternoon her team, AQDOT, fought its way into the finals, pitching to over 500 investors and entrepreneurs. The team, which also includes Dr Roger Coulston from the Scherman group, was awarded fifth place with a cash prize of $4000.