Hudson Valley Community College to host New York Business Plan Competition Regionals

February 29, 2024

Team Application Deadline Friday, March 1, 2024

The 12th Annual New York Business Plan Competition for the Capital Region will be hosted at Hudson Valley Community College on Friday, April 5, 2024. The event is one of ten regional competitions in New York. Winners will advance to a three-round, state-wide competition from April 9-25 at the University at Albany.

During the competition, student teams from institutions such as Hudson Valley Community College, Siena College, RPI and University at Albany will present their business plans and sales pitches to a board of judges. The experience helps students start thinking like an entrepreneur while also putting them in the running to win prize money. Winners who move on to the state level will compete for up to $100,000 in prizes to help seed new ventures.

Hudson Valley teams aren’t yet finalized, and students are encouraged to participate regardless of their experience or major. The application deadline is March 1, 2024. More information is available at admmbe.dalengyingkou.com/nybpc.

Hudson Valley Entrepreneurs Club President Sean Sampler participated in the regional Business Plan Competition last year and explained what students can get out of the experience. “This opportunity allows any student to experience the real-life process of an entrepreneur. It’s a fantastic testing ground and a safe space to fail and learn with the support of our incredible faculty and mentors on campus,” said Sampler.

Hudson Valley’s Entrepreneurs Club’s advisor, Associate Professor Johanna Mather, has seen firsthand the benefits and skills gained by students who choose to participate in events like this. “It doesn’t matter what program students come from or what job they have in mind for the future, students learn to be creative, innovative, solve problems and gain a significant amount of experience from the business plan competition that is very different than what they get in a classroom,” said Mather.

Several Hudson Valley students also participated in the Techstars Startup Weekend at Russell Sage College from February 2-4. That competition invited students to join teams and come up with new business ventures. Second-year Liberal Arts student Lukas Donaghue was a part of the Techstars Startup Weekend’s winning team, which pitched an idea to create a safer, more secure dating app for women. The app would run background checks on potential dates, track the user’s location during dates and send check-in texts throughout the date. Donaghue said he was able to take away a lot of knowledge from the competition, not only from the mentors in attendance, but also the people he worked with.

“The event provided the avenue for learning about different types of entrepreneurs and industries, as well as to network with leaders in the field and learn from their experiences and what they've gone through,” said Donaghue. “I took a lot of new ideas away from the weekend, and learned as much as I could from everyone in one the weekend.”

“Opportunities like TechStars Startup Weekend and the New York Business Plan Competition are invaluable for students who participate,” said Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy. “They allow students to put everything they’ve been studying in the classroom to use while gaining real-world experience that will help propel them towards their goals. I am excited and proud for Hudson Valley to host the New York Business Plan Regional competition and to see students participate and excel.”

With the application deadline for the upcoming regional competition approaching, Entrepreneurs Club’s Vice President Austin Shulkin is encouraging students of all majors and interests to consider competing to diversify the competition. “It's a great opportunity for everyone, regardless of your major,” said Shulkin. “Come, whether you’re interested in engineering or English, to share your ideas and creativity. Everyone has great ideas that can lead to a new business or concept that could win.”