ANN ARBOR ? Seventeen student-lead teams at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business split $42,500 in grants provided through the Fall 2006 Eugene Applebaum Dare to Dream Grant Program run by the U-M’s Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Grant recipients were awarded both funding and resources (in the form of advice and counsel) based on business concepts and plans submitted to panels of judges, made up of faculty from the Ross School of Business and members of the entrepreneurial and venture capital communities from across the United States.

“Unique to the Zell Lurie Institute is our unwavering belief that

action- based learning is key to our students’ growth and success,” said

Zell Lurie Managing Director Timothy Faley. “The Dare to Dream Grant

Program embodies this commitment by providing students with the resources,

expert counsel and funding to explore commercialization opportunities and

design business plans.”

Dare to Dream focuses on the development and application of

entrepreneurial skills nurtured at the Zell Lurie Institute. Students

compete with fellow aspiring entrepreneurs by applying for funding and

support to help advance their innovative, high-potential business concepts

toward launch.

The Dare to Dream Grant Program, founded in 2002, distributes up to

$100,000 per academic year to Ross School of Business students and

encourages teams to explore the viability of their business ideas or to

move their businesses closer to launch. The program benefits not only

students, but also the local and university community by stimulating

entrepreneurial efforts and starting new businesses. Grants are

administered at two funding levels: assessment grants at $1,500 and up to

$10,000 for integration grants.

The following student teams received grants in October 2006:

Integration Grants ($10,000 each)

Blaze Medical Devices, a developer of blood analysis tools

VIVACE, a provider of alternative electricity to locations near water currents

Assessment Grants ($1,500 each)

Anniversary Manga, a provider of personalized e-manga highlights of

memorable moments to share over the Internet

Bust Out, a designer of proportioned dress shirts for women

Caring Counseling, provider of high-quality, low-cost mental health

care to people with low income

Forest Eye Consulting, developers of a suite of cutting edge remote

sensing and spatial technologies to build inventory assessments and

asset utilization plans for forestland owners

Health Base, LLC, a network of service centers providing health care

services in India

iX Systems, providers of microchip design and modeling software for

high speed digital designers

ManageMyLogistics.com, an online community for small to midsized

businesses to access the same quality logistics services as large

firms

MEMS-Based Microelectrode Arrays for Cochlear Prostheses, a provider

of microelectrodes that enable both high-density neural stimulation

and sensory feedback in cochlear prostheses

MEMS-Based Packaging Foundry, offers packaging research services that

provide MEMS companies with the processing technology needed to bring

MEMS products to market

MyStyle, styling consultations that leverage a user’s personal

wardrobe and retail pieces

Real Kidz Clothing, a clothing store for overweight children and youth

ReceiptHub Inc., online tool for receipt access and management that

leverages point-of-sale data

Savium Technologies, design and production of low-cost, high-

performance electronically scanned array radar systems

Strengthening the Family, uses monthly publications, nationwide trade

shows, and educational programs to help spouses and parents

Well-House Home and Building Supply, environmentally-friendly building

supply center

For more information, click on ZLI.Bus.Umich.Edu