Every fall, the Rowan Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund team up, along with sponsors from the Rohrer College of Business, to give Rowan students the opportunity to pitch ideas about their own business to move them forward.
On Dec. 5, the Idea Challenge was held in Business Hall, allowing students to pitch their business ideas to student and faculty members at each of their decorated expo booths. The challenge gives the students an amazing opportunity to showcase their ideas and possibly start up their own business.
“We all agreed that we were passionate and loved coffee. One day I came into class and I put too much of my syrup into the coffee, and it was so sweet and gross. So we were like, what if we had infused coffee beans that already tasted the way that you wanted?” said Star Robinson, a junior studying entrepreneurship and business team member for Solve.
All of the students who presented their business idea pitches worked in teams of at least two, collaborating with fellow students to put their best foot forward in front of the judges Friday morning. Many of the students had created businesses that were founded upon their own interests or the major they are currently studying at Rowan.
“The inspiration came from me and someone else in the group who is also a music industry major. We just focused a lot on the fact that, since we’re in bands ourselves, we felt that sometimes exposure isn’t something that independent and very small artists get, or artists can be afraid to make that leap,” said Ash Rafferty, a junior studying music industry, and business partner of the magazine, South Jersey Underground.
The Idea Challenge allowed the students to receive individual feedback from the judges who came around to all of the tables. By doing so, the challenge gave students the opportunity to receive advice from professionals and know how to improve their potential business.
Many of the businesses were associated with powerful messages, including anything from mental health to problems around the world.
“I just want people to be able to see how effective journals can be for people who struggle with mental illness. I think it’s also important to know that there are so many people out there who struggle, and they can benefit from so many things … We want to help other people, and we know how it feels to be a high school student. We know how it feels to be a college student, and we want to help everyone,” said Jesse Ravitz, a sophomore business entrepreneurship major and business partner for Heiwa Notes.
The different teams for all of the businesses were made up of students from several different colleges on the Rowan campus, allowing the students to be knowledgeable and cover different areas of their business that they are experienced in or are interested in.
Some of the businesses that presented at the expo have already started up their business, and have been able to use the Idea Challenge as a great opportunity to bring more recognition to their companies.
“Before we even started doing this, a portion of our profit every month we donate to a local New Jersey non-profit. When we started doing, we started learning about a lot of different issues that were going on … the issues that we were passionate about giving to, and recidivism quickly became one of those issues. We really want, if possible, to become part of the solution that helps change a woman’s life,” said Yvonne Taylor, a writing arts major and founder of Sweet Thang Boutique Cakery.
The Idea Challenge allowed students to share their ideas amongst their peers and faculty for their business, but also allowed them to share ideas and issues that are important to them and that they are passionate about.
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