SUNY New Paltz School of Business announces winners of business plan contest

NEW PALTZ – The School of Business at the State University of New York at New Paltz and Campus Auxiliary Services, Inc. held their annual business plan contest presentation and award ceremony on May 9.

The nine teams of students presented their business plans before a panel of judges consisting of local business leaders. The winning team, MooTech, researched and developed a plan for a business that will convert local farmers’ dairy waste into a source of renewable energy to power homes and businesses in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The second place team, DesPro, created a plan for a web based design, management software which bridges the gap in design projects between web and graphic designers or design firms and their clients. Both teams were awarded scholarships.

“I am so proud of all our students who participated in this contest,” said Hadi Salavitabar, dean of the School of Business. “I am impressed with their ability to turn their ideas into practical and profitable business plans.”

The judges included: Christina Bark, Christina Bark & Associates; Melinda Beuf, Ulster County Development Corporation; Steve Deutsch, Campus Auxiliary Services, Inc.; David Freer, A&M Enterprises/United Financial; Robert Michaud, Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; Chelen Reyes, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; and April Volk, Key Bank.

Business sponsors included: Campus Auxiliary Services, Inc.; Sodexho Food Services; M&T Bank; Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; TD Bank; Ulster Savings Bank; Everton H. Henriques ’78, ’83g & Jeannie Irvine ’78; Ulster County Development Corporation; A&M Enterprise/United Financial; and Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center.

The following is the list of teams who entered the contest with an explanation of each team’s business plan project:

MooTech – a company that will convert local farmers’ dairy waste into a source of renewable energy to power homes and businesses in the Mid-Hudson Valley
Students: Maria Izquierdo, Joe Lahita, Fiona Lee, Eddie Monroy
Mentor: Carl Meyer, The Solar Energy Consortium

DesPro – a web-based design management software which bridges the gap in design projects between web and graphic designers or design firms and their clients
Students: Anthony Church, Kevin Finnegan, Jason Nordlund, Christine Rieth
Mentor: Peter Gregory, Orange County Business Accelerator

DEEDS – a business to business company relying largely on student volunteers that connects World Vision, which has a warehouse of donated goods in the Bronx, with local charities
Students: Jobymon Augusthy, Drilon Gojani, David Ro, Stephany Robison

Green Lake Hotel – an upscale hotel on Lake Placid which provides a differentiated experience based on its environmentally-friendly orientation, its motivated staff and the unique location
Students: Christopher Chevreuil, Benjamin Fiere, Thomas Ravel, Mehmet Erce Sermet, Alexandre Tavernier
Mentor: Rick Alfandre, Alfandre Architecture, PC

SMART House – an intermediary business between big companies, their employees who are looking for housing in Europe, and construction firms
Students: Adrien Forest, Jeremy Olivier, Zeynep Onaran, Gokce Yucel
Mentor: Ulster County Development Corporation

Cargofy – an online business to business company with a reverse auction platform that connects ocean-freight carriers with available cargo around the world
Students: Dimitris Alexiou, Evan Martel, Michael Santalesa, Thomas Viscardi

Word of Mouth – an e-commerce company that offers local businesses advertising opportunities and SUNY students coupons and discounts to these businesses
Students: Alexandra Sanky, Thomas Van Durme, Anais Wilbrod, Junki Yoshino
Mentor: Rachel Reuben, Ithaca College

Teddy’s Square – a business to business company that provides sponsored daycare services for infants to five year olds in White Plains
Students: Ipek Demirci, Ilkcan Ocal, Zineb Tazi, Remi Van Durme
Mentor: Amanda Barney

FoodGuru Marketing – a restaurant marketing agency which provides online presence and business consulting services to a variety of restaurants in the Hudson Valley region
Students: Martin Deramecourt, Fuat Kapucu, Leslie-Jane Nataf, Murat Orhan

For more information about the School of Business or the contest, contact Dean Hadi Salavitabar at (845) 257-2930 or salavith@newpaltz.edu.