Press Release: 2024 New York Business Plan Competition Announced 

For Release: Immediate – February 22, 2024

Contact:
Bailey Burke
bailey@upstatecapital.org
(845) 204-8090

2024 New York Business Plan Competition Announced 

Deadlines are approaching for students from colleges across the state to compete statewide for cash prizes

New Paltz, NY– The New York Business Plan Competition, powered by the Upstate Capital Association of New York, announced the start of the 2024 competition. The competition promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for college students from across the state who pitch their business plans to seasoned investors. They also receive the opportunity to engage with mentors and judges from the business community. SUNY Albany will host the NYBPC Finals this year on April 25, 2024. The NYBPC Finals event connects students with business professionals, provides experiential learning opportunities through competitions, connects entrepreneurs with resources at the Entrepreneurship Expo, and awards up to $100,000 in cash prizes to help seed new ventures.

The event will be attended by up to 300 people, including 50-100 business executives, investors and capital providers, professional advisors (attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, consultants), key stakeholders (local and regional press, local and state politicians), and up to 200 student entrepreneurs, advisors, and college professionals from 60+ colleges and universities representing all 10 regions in New York State.

Upstate Capital has led the NYBPC, the statewide intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition, for the past six years to support New York’s next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. The NYBPC has three goals: 

  • to foster entrepreneurial skills through providing experiential learning opportunities,

  • to build personal networks connecting students to the entrepreneurial landscape in New York, and

  • to launch new ventures. 

Interested students can submit business plans. The 2024 tracks include:

  • Food & Agtech: Agricultural Technology, Food Product, Food Service

  • Health & Wellbeing: Health IT, Life Science, Medtech, Wellbeing

  • Learn, Work & Live: Education, Community Building, Productivity, Fintech

  • Safety, Power & Mobility: Defense, Energy, Climate Tech, First Responder, Infrastructure, Mobility, Transportation 

  • Products & Hardware: Business plans don’t fall into other tracks

  • Software & Services: Business plans don’t fall into other tracks

Regional competitions are being held across Empire State Development’s 10 regions in New York State. The application deadline is March 1. Event dates, locations, and more information about the competition can be found on the website: nybpc.org/students2024#studentcalendar. 

Noa Simons, President and CEO of Upstate Capital Association of New York said, “We organize the NYBPC to foster entrepreneurship through experiential education so students can gain insights and perspective on developing new ventures from people in the business community. Post-program mentorship and cash prizes for winning teams help launch new ventures. We see the value of entrepreneurial skills, no matter what direction students take their careers, and are excited about supporting people who start businesses and move toward owning their economic futures.”

Josh Aviv, CEO of Sparkcharge, the 2018 NYBPC Grand Prize winner, said “...Through winning the New York business plan competition, we were able to develop one of our first ever prototype charging stations that has now evolved into a multimillion-dollar business. We also received a ton of mentorship guidance... We now have offices across the United States..." Linda Alvarez, a 2021 competitor said, "The NYBPC was an amazing experience. The most rewarding aspect, as a founder, is being a part of such a knowledgeable and expansive network. The connections made through the NYBPC have created a diverse network of advisors for our company that has helped Levelle strategically move through its next steps."

Sponsors 
Our sponsors support, advise, and help fund the NYBPC. The sponsors of the 2024 NYBPC include Empire State Development, The Research Foundation for SUNY (SUNY RF), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Clarkson University. Philanthropic donors include Vikram Agrawal, The Opalka Family, Norm Schwartz, Mike Wyse, Jack Greco, and many more.

A long-time supporter of the NYBPC, Vikram Agrawal of Levrx Technology, said, “Every business begins as an idea, and for some of us, college is the perfect time to launch new businesses. The NYBPC provides a platform for these ideas to thrive and grow through mentorship, skill development, and professional connections. I am honored to be able to give back to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through sponsorship of the NYBPC and my board service at the Upstate Capital Association of NY.”

NYBPC Judges
Over 150 venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers, experienced entrepreneurs, and leaders from the business community participate in the NYBPC as judges. The NYBPC has announced Sonya Smith, the State Director of the New York Small Business Development Centers (NY SBDC) and David Brown, Managing Director of Impellent Ventures will serve as Grand Prize Judges. The full list of judges will be announced in April. Anyone interested in becoming an NYBPC judge can learn more at nybpc.org/judgementor. 

Regional Organizers 
The NYBPC Regional Organizers are charged with supporting ongoing efforts to enhance support for the NYBPC mission through regional leadership, collaboration, and implementation of regional competitions. We could only do this with the support of our Regional Organizers. The 2024 Organizers include Maria Pidgeon of UAlbany, John Stella of SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Traci Geisler of Syracuse University, Bruce Kingma of Syracuse University, Robert Griffin of Onondaga SBDC,

Irene Scruton of SUNY Oswego, Chris Neville of Upstate Medical University, Danielle Blesi and Jodi Mather of Hudson Valley Community College, Erin Sefca and Kathy Driscoll of Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Rochester, Chantz Miles of St. John Fisher University, Kim Forman and Richard Vogel of Farmingdale State College, Cindy Worrad and Roberta Diggins of Marist College, Robert Edgell of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Ashley Sweeney of Clarkson University, Edgar Trout of CUNY, Paul Pensabene of Berkeley College, Gavin Goldstein of Touro University, Jeffrey Derose of CSI Incubator at the CUNY College of Staten Island, Emma Smith and Laura Holmes of Binghamton University, Nancy Almann, and Felix Litvinsky of Cornell University, Hadar Borden of University at Buffalo and Kelsey Wagner of University at Buffalo.

Our host at the University of Albany, Maria Pidgeon of Innovate 518 has expressed her support of the NYBPC. She said, "As the Director of Economic Development at the University at Albany, we are thrilled to host the 2024 New York State Business Plan Competition. This event catalyzes innovation and entrepreneurship, providing a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas. By fostering collaboration, mentorship, and investment opportunities, we aim to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem that propels the growth of startups and drives economic development across the state. We look forward to witnessing the ingenuity and passion of student participants as they compete for recognition and support to turn their visions into reality."

Since 2010, the NYBPC has helped to launch more than 200 student-led ventures and generated more than $150 million in economic impact.


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Bailey Burke