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Students Place in Business Plan Competition

May 25, 2016

Three SUNY Orange students recently completed in regional and statewide business plan competitions. Shown, from left, are Alex Boyd (SUNY Orange), Sebastian Aurelus (Hunter College), Eric Mendoza (Hunter College), Maureen Goodman (SUNY Orange), Matt Balzano (SUNY Orange).

MIDDLETOWN – Earlier this spring, SUNY Orange student Matt Balzano, of Chester, represented the College at the New York State Business Plan Competition held at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany.

Balzano, a business management major, teamed with students from Hudson Valley Community College and the Fashion Institute of Technology to create Forever Fits, a custom-fit clothing company specializing in casual designs. To reach the state event, the group emerged from a challenging field at the Mid-Hudson Region Business Plan Competition.

Forever Fits competed against 19 other teams and, although it did not win at the state level in the Products and Services category, feedback from the judges was overwhelmingly positive. Forever Fits was one of just four community college teams among more than 80 competing groups at the finals.

SUNY Orange was also represented in the regional competition by Maureen Goodman, a liberal arts major from Wurtsboro, who presented Atomic Freedom, her line of craft-made canvas bags and backpacks; and Alex Boyd, a business management major from New Paltz, who developed Boyd’s Beans, fresh roasted coffee beans that are 100% organic and fair trade with company profits being donated toward education projects around the world.

This is the third year that SUNY Orange has competed in the NYSBPC, and the second time a team has made it to the state finals.

“It is really satisfying to see our students out there competing with graduate students,” said Don Urmston, who coordinated the SUNY Orange students’ entries. “They really do our college proud. Every team wins, really, because they get to meet investors and business development specialists who can help them in the future.”

The competition has six categories: Products & Services, Social Entrepreneurship, Healthcare, IT/Software, Advanced Technology, and Energy & Sustainability. There are 10 regional competitions throughout the state with the top two teams from each category advancing to the finals.