Scuba Solutions wins Governor’s Cup business plan contest

Scuba Solutions on Wednesday won the Donald R. Reynolds Governor's Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition.

The victory from the team of University of Nevada, Las Vegas students capped an overall strong showing by Southern Nevada entrants.

Scuba Solutions, which made a wheeled tote to help scuba divers transport their tanks, netted the $20,000 first prize among graduate-student business plan contestants. In January, the team won the Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition, sponsored by the Las Vegas Business Press.

"We see better results from the contestants who have been through the Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition and the Truckee Meadows Business Plan Competition," said Dave Archer, the CEO of the Nevada Center for Entrepreneurship.

All told, graduate and undergraduate Governor's Cup winners collected $200,000 in prize money. The awards ceremony was held Wednesday night at the Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa in Reno.

UNLV students Chris Powell, Alex Strabala, Curtis Weinstien and Sean Daly comprises the Scuba Solutions team. Andrew Hardin is faculty adviser.

Rebel Technology Associates won second place in the graduate category -- and $10,000 -- for their MAD Sensor, a motorcycle accident detection and notification system. Rebel Technology Associates includes Jerome Mandel, Nicoleta Cornea, Shehan Peries, Yrene Ordaz and Gerson Recinos. Hardin is faculty member.

Eighteen at Eighteen, a team of UNLV undergraduates, took first place and $20,000 in the undergraduate category for a plan to make digital books for 18-year-olds' smartphones.

Eighteen's team members included students William Wong, Nathan Turner, Claudia Perez, Matt Petterson and Jami Vallesteros. The faculty adviser was Janet Runge.

Nevada Governor's Cup competition winners can advance to compete in the Tristate Governor's Cup, running May 25-26 at Red Rock Resort. That competition will also feature winners from Arkansas' and Oklahoma's Governor's Cups.