MADE promotes and projects the spirit of entrepreneurship to The University of Montana's School of Business Administration and Montana entrepreneurs through providing educational opportunities.
MADE Events & Programs
Pioneer in Industry Awards
In 2010, the Fifth Annual Pioneer in Industry Awards presented by The University of Montana’s School of Business Administration and the Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs (MADE) to Craig R. Barrett, retired CEO/ Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation, and Barbara M. Barrett, former Ambassador to Finland. The Barrett's attended an intimate luncheon event attended by thirty of SoBA’s top undergraduate, MBA and MAcct students where they were able to talk one-on-one with Craig and Barbara Barrett. The Barrett's also presented at two Open Forums - free and open to the public. Follow this link for more information. 
The 2008 Pioneer In Industry Awards dinner and awards presentation was attended by close to 200 business people, MADE members, faculty, students and community members. Dr. Jeff Shay, Chris Corbin, Liz Marchi and Diane Smith provided introductions to the MADE programs and to the honored awardees Mark Kvamme, Partner at Sequoia Capital and Karen Puckett, President and COO of CenturyTel. Both Kvamme and Puckett expressed their gratitude and excitement concerning the quality and enthusiasm of SoBA’s students and the MADE program. For more information about MADE’s programs, click here.
Past recipients include: Warren Miller (Warren Miller Productions), Stuart Evey (Founding Chairman of ESPN), William Allen (former CEO of Boeing Corporation), Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg (Founders of Liz Claiborne, Inc.), Thomas Siebel (Founder of Siebel Systems and the Montana Meth Project) and Dennis Washington (Founder of Washington Group International). Click here for more information about the recipients and the award.
MADE's 2012 Seminar Series
This next Spring the Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs will offer its ninth annual Advanced Entrepreneurship Seminars course. 32 successful entrepreneurs selected from and by the MADE organization will teach up to 45 MBA and MAcct students and 15 undergraduate students in each of their four weekend seminars. The spring seminars are organized around four separate topics: Business Plan Workshop, Managing and Marketing a New Venture, High-technology Start-ups and Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs, and Financing New Ventures. The seminars provide the opportunity for SoBA students to engage in face-to-face discussions with successful entrepreneurs. Click here for more information on the MADE Seminar Series.
22nd Annual John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition:
The competition was held on May 12th, 2011 at the University of Montana-Gallagher Business Building. Because of our generous sponsors we were able to award over $31,000 in prizes.
John Beltrone and Emese Vitalis are shown here with Dean Larry Gianchetta and Mayor John Engen. John and Emese impressed judges and the public alike with CreativiTea, an epicurean custom blend tea retailer. The company will be based in Missoula and will sell direct to the consumer via the Internet and social media sites.
The CreativiTea team also took the prize for the best elevator pitch, an award that recognizes the team's ability to explain the plan in three minutes. Collectively the team won prize money totaling $9,000.
Click here for more information on this exciting event.