Now in its ninth incarnation, The Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge received 135 entries -- and a major overhaul this year.
For the first time, our readers were invited to weigh in -- voting on video clips made by our finalists. The ''People's Pick'' contest registered 4,833 votes and produced a hand's down winner: CD Invites.
Our judges had their own favorites -- and it's hard to imagine a more disparate group of winners: ScriptAlert, a company that hopes to turn genetic screening technology into a life-saving service; Pegasus Thruster, which wants to redefine diving; and Sleep-Umzzz, which is hoping to take some of the pain out of airline travel.
For those who failed to make it to the podium, the sweetest revenge will be success -- and letting us know how short-sighted we were. At least one of our finalists who failed to make it to the top three plans to rub it in our face next year, vowing to turn his business into a blockbuster. He wrote: 'I think I'll start with a `REVENGE' submission for the kickoff of the 10th annual!''
