BRYANT COLLEGE HOLDS SECOND ANNUAL BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

The economy may be dead, but entrepreneurship is alive at Bryant College.  The second annual Bryant College Business Plan Competition exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit that was brought to life this past year with the introduction of the Global Entrepreneurship Program launched this past fall. 

 

Due to the success of last year’s undergraduate competition a second division was established for graduate students and recent alumni. A combined total of six teams, three representing each division, were invited to present their business ideas to the judging committee made up of faculty, and members of venture capital, legal, and strategic consulting communities.  Judges included Robert Roscoe ’86, Partner in Swingbridge Captial; Jayne Donegan, Member at Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels; Larry Grumer, President of Boston Entrepreneurs’ Network; Nancy Rossiter, Entrepreneur and current professor at Bryant College; and Dr. Jim Segovis, Director of the John H. Chafee Center for International Business and Bryant professor.

 

With the completion of six, twenty-five minute business plan presentations, judges and participants had a chance to network and discuss their idea over lunch.  Robert Roscoe who had made his first visit back to Bryant in little over a decade concluded the event with an interactive presentation that addressed The 17 Keys to Every Business Plan.

 

Undergraduate Division

 

Rapid Development Technologies (RDT), a team consisting of students from Bryant and Quinnipiac University is working to become a cutting edge photo processing company dedicated to providing airline consumers with innovative ways to develop, view and receive their photographs with the establishment of small photo shop kiosks in popular vacation destination airports across the United States and selected international destinations. Their spectacular presentation lead them to the winners’ circle as the Undergraduate Champion and a check for $1000.  RDT was also a crowd favorite and as a result was voted the Overall People’s Choice Award along with an additional $500.  Team members included Brian Long, Chris Eck, Michael Yagid, Patrick Ryan, and Julie Champagne.

 

Finishing a close second was Kiddie Castle, the after school enhancement daycare centers that teach children to learn a second language during their stay in the twenty-four hour center. Members included Corey Degon, Jacob Naylor, Elisa Kim, Lorinda Eggers, and Eric Jordan.

 

Fantastic Cleaners, lead by Chris Companik, Kim Agresta, Aleksandra Ben, and Mike Pezzullo, looks to provide campus cleaning services to Bryant College students rounded out the finalists in the undergraduate division.

 

Graduate Division

 

Jason Colgan, and his partner from Bentley College came away as the Champion of the Graduate Division with their highly innovative, yet sophisticated management approach to producing the next multi-million dollar rap label.  No Regret Records, recognized the potential of file sharing programs, such as Napster, for the promotion of their music and ultimately the label to a worldwide market.   No Regret Records was also awarded $1000.

 

The first runner-up of the graduate division was See Solutions, Inc., headed by Chris Collins is proposing a procurement product and service for small businesses through the use of small hand-held remote scanners that would ultimately be linked up with large office equipment suppliers such as Staples. 

 

Alpine Country Club Estates, a real estate development firm whose vision is to partner with existing golf courses and country clubs throughout New England to develop surrounding land into beautiful residential properties, was voted the second runner-up in the graduate division.  Members included Kristen Boie, Scott Brady, and David DePasquale.

 

The Bryant Business Plan Competition concluded an exciting first year for the students and the Global Entrepreneurship Program Co-Founders, David Meskhi and Troy Byrd.  Following the implementation strategy set forth by the College in November, the Global Entrepreneurship Program looks to expand its program offering with the establishment of a mentorship program, Brain Bank, high school outreach program, and new activities designed exclusively to spread the entrepreneurial spirit to local Rhode Island colleges including Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design.  Additionally, the GEP team recognizes the extreme value Bryant Alumni Entrepreneurs posses and has specifically created programs that will capitalize on this untapped resource.