On May 26, the Baruch College Invitational Entrepreneurship Competition held its awards ceremony dinner, honoring the winners of the annual event, now in its 11th year.
As in previous competitions, Baruch teams performed very well. Teams compete in two tracks: a traditional profit-making business track and a socially conscious track for enterprises that provide a significant public good or societal benefit. The College’s Global Life squad tied Columbia University’s Almaari for first place in the traditional track, and Baruch’s Happy Families 24/7 came in second place to Hunter College in the social track.
Global Life, a medical tourism provider, received $7,500 in seed money. Composed of team leader Pedro Alvarez (MBA ’11), Juan Plazas (MPA ’12), and Marco Sachet (MS ’11), the team had Bill Southard, president and CEO of Southard Communications, and Donna Gitter, Zicklin associate professor of law, as mentors.
Happy Families 24/7, which provides child care for ages two through six, was led by Varvara Radimushkina (MPA ’11), with Burhan Hoxhaj (MPA ’11), Lilyanna Israil (MPA ’11), and Tatiana Kondrukevich as members. Awarded $5,000 in seed funds, the team’s mentors were Baltsar Sahlin, founder of the Tribeca Group, and Mary Ann Holley, lecturer in Zicklin’s Department of Management.
According to Monica Dean, administrative director of Baruch’s Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship, “The competition has continued to provide our students with improved entrepreneurial skills and a deeper understanding of how businesses are created. This experience exposes our students to a viable alternative for launching their careers during trying economic times.”
–Marina Zogbi
The kickoff fair for the 2011–12 invitational competition is expected to occur in September.