Freirich Business Plan Competition finals to take place online
As the Kenneth A. Freirich Business Plan Competition celebrates its 10th anniversary year, it will break new ground amid a global health emergency and host its final round virtually.
This year’s finalists — 11 students pitching nine business plans — are pre-recording their presentations to be shown during a live online event at 2 p.m. Friday, April 17. Through the videoconferencing platform Zoom, each finalist will play a final pitch, followed by live Q&A with the final-round judges.
All students, parents, past participants and judges, alumni, faculty and staff are welcome to watch the final round.
More than 350 students representing 225 businesses have entered the competition since 2010, when it was established by Skidmore alumnus Ken Freirich ’90, CEO of the patient engagement company Health Monitor Network. Roy Rotheim, professor of economics at Skidmore, has been the driving force behind coordinating the competition, and over 100 other Skidmore alums have engaged in the competition as mentors and judges, in addition to peer mentors and other community members who have helped with workshops, coaching and live practice sessions.
More than $50,000 in cash and in-kind services are up for grabs. The nine business plans vying for this year’s prizes are:
Coven, Emily Egan ’20 and Maya Ling ’21: A bakery that infuses products for medicinal benefits
Edutrer, Naira Abdula ’20: An interactive after-school program in Mozambique for underprivileged children
Inglês para todos, Cyntia Ismael ’22: A nonprofit providing resources to enable young adults to speak and write fluently in English
Natural Glow, Novilhelha Moleni ’22 and Ha Linh Nguyen ’22: A hair and beauty brand
TROT (Technology for Riders Optimizing Training), Abigail Kaplan ’20: An application designed for equestrians (riders and trainers)
Turf Ads, Colin Mahoney ’21: Connecting public high schools and small-business advertisers
Uman 4 Uman Salone, Haja Bah ’21: A nonprofit that produces sustainable sanitary pads for young women in Sierra Leone
Voyce.me, Dylan Telano ’23: An online marketplace connecting unpublished writers with readers
Z’s, Izaak Cohen ’20: A lifestyle accessories brand
