The University recently hosted the Spring 2025 Business Plan Competition, where students from various majors across campus pitched innovative and inspiring business ideas. A panel of faculty and alumni judges evaluated 42 student presentations, showcasing the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit thriving on campus.

At the awards ceremony, the top three teams were invited to present their business plans once more to an enthusiastic audience. The following alumni were also recognized with alumni recognition awards; Jennifer Doctor ‘86, Barry Doctor ‘86, Chris Sayer ‘15, The Finelli Family, Charles D. Pious ‘80, and Sam Broomer M'97, M'99. Other alumni judges included Supriyo Chaterjee ‘89, Steve Yanicke ‘06, Caitlin O’Hara ‘22, Daniel Litin ‘23, M’24, Lindon Dauti ‘23, M’24, Rolando Calderon ‘19, Kellen Bassett ‘22, and Harvey Gibbs ‘27.

We also thank Barney faculty Irina Naoumova, Rebecca Ranucci, Vicky Luo, Harvey Gilmore, and Hailey Harris for judging, as well as the Innovators Group (Benjamin Berin and William Schaffer), Emeritus Professor Jerry Katrichis, John Fiorello of Northwestern Connecticut Community College, and Dean Ivanic and Provost Black for their comments at the award ceremony.  

Experiential learning opportunities like the Business Plan Competition are a hallmark of the Barney School and the university at large. These initiatives reinforce Barney’s commitment to career readiness by giving students a platform to demonstrate their business skills and professionalism in a real-world setting. 

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Alek Popovich – 1st Place – Translatio Pods
Victoria Duffy – 2nd Place – Oxen Free
Lyndsy Garcia – 3rd Place – Innomatch