June 23, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeanne Segal
301-270-8571; segaljeanne@gmail.com
Michelle Sherrard
202-994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

GW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MBAs SELECT TOP TEN OF NATION'S BEST SMALL BUSINESSES FOR DELL'S SMALL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD COMPETITION

Today's Entrepreneurs Teach Tomorrow's Business Leaders; Innovative Curriculum Makes Impact on GW MBA Candidates

WASHINGTON--Earlier this June, MBA candidates at The George Washington University School of Business found themselves knee-deep in thousands of business plans from the nation's top entrepreneurs. Their task? To select the top ten businesses that will compete to win Dell's Small Business Excellence Award. This practical transformation--from students to awards judges--is at the heart of the innovative curriculum at the GW School of Business.

"There is no better way to prepare our future business leaders for the entrepreneurial challenges that await them in the global marketplace than to immerse them in the business plans and balance sheets of dynamic small businesses," said Erik K. Winslow, GW professor of management.

Enlisting MBA candidates as small business awards judges was the brainchild of GW Assistant Professor Ayman El Tarabishy, executive director of The International Council for Small Business (ISCB), which is hosted by GW School of Business. Through a partnership forged with Dell, the ICSB has organized seven other MBA judging panels around the world.

"This is a unique educational opportunity, in essence strengthening the power of today's entrepreneurs to teach tomorrow's business leaders," said Erik Dithmer, vice president and general manager, Dell Small and Medium Business.
 
The judging session at GW began in earnest with Dr. Winslow dividing his Strategic Entrepreneurship class randomly into two groups. Each group was tasked to identify the top ten small businesses that demonstrated exceptional command of information technology in creating a positive customer experience and growing its business. Following the first sessions, judges were brought together to collectively discuss their selections and ultimately form a final, consensus Top 10.

The ten top businesses selected by GW School of Business' MBAs will go on to compete to win Dell's national award. The national winner, announced this coming September, will then compete with national finalists from 13 countries from around the world for the global award worth $50,000 in Dell technology.

GW's School of Business prepares students for professional management careers. The depth and variety of its academic and professional programs, including five specialized master's programs, provide rich opportunities for students in the school's core Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and Doctoral programs.

For more information about GW's School of Business, visit http://business.gwu.edu.
For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwnewscenter.org.
For more information on the Dell Small Business Excellence Award, visit www.dell.com/ceaward.
For a list of the Top Ten National finalists, visit http://bit.ly/d6tc.
 For more information on the International Council on Small Business
http://www.icsb.org/index.asp.
- GW -