Celebrating the 2026 NYBPC Judges: Powering Innovation Across New York State

Celebrating the 2026 NYBPC Judges: Powering Innovation Across New York State The New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) Finals will be held on April 22, 2026, at Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship in Rochester, NY, bringing together some of the most exciting student-led ventures and industry leaders from across New York State.  This program plays a critical role in supporting the creation and development of innovative startups across Upstate New York. Through competition, the NYBPC connects students with experienced business professionals, provides hands-on experiential learning, and links entrepreneurs to vital resources through the Entrepreneurship Expo. With up to $100,000 in total cash prizes, the competition also helps seed the next generation of high-impact ventures. At the heart of this experience are the judges, leaders in entrepreneurship, business development, finance, and innovation, who dedicate their time and expertise to evaluating and elevating student founders. What Judges Look For Throughout the competition, judges evaluate teams based on key criteria that reflect real-world startup success: Market Opportunity Competitive Advantage Management Capability Financial Understanding Roadmap & Growth Strategy Sustainable Business Model NYS Impact & Viability These criteria challenge students to think beyond the classroom and build ventures that can thrive in the real world and impact both Main Street and Wall Street.  From Regionals to the Finals The NYBPC journey begins with regional competitions held across New York State in late March and early April, organized by local partners.  Winning teams advance to the statewide finals, which consist of three rounds: Round One (Virtual): Judges review submissions asynchronously with up to ten teams per track advancing Round Two (In Person – April 22): Teams present live and compete for cash prizes.  Grand Prize Round (In Person – April 22): The winning teams from each track compete in person for a $25,000 Grand Prize! Thank You to Our Judges The NYBPC would not be possible without the dedication, expertise, and generosity of its judges. Their time, experience, and insights help transform ideas into viable businesses—and students into founders. Our judges help shape the foundation of each venture, providing early-stage feedback that strengthens ideas and clarifies direction. We are deeply grateful for their continued support of entrepreneurship and economic development across New York State. Thank you to our Round One Judges! Scott Gillespie (Jigsaw Group) Tharun Reddy Pakala (Tata Consultancy Services) Mitchell Wakefield (a16z) Salome Mikadze (Movadex) Zoheb Chirammal (Centene Corporation / Fidelis Care NY) Marina Minina (Innovative Wellness Ventures LLC) Krishna Sasank Talasila (Stayflexi) Roy Weissman (St. John’s University) Binbin Cui (Royal Canadian Mint) André Ahlert (AEX Partners) Sarthak Shah (Amazon) Umesh Motwani (Slalom) Deepa Pahuja (Amazon Web Services) Adebola Adeniyi (JPMorgan Chase) Olushola Ashiru (New Energy Fund II) Aditi Mahajan (AlixPartners LLP) Prasanna Palanikumar (ADP) Ramalakshmi Murugan (Google) Rajnish Singh (Slalom) Thank you to our Round Two Judges! Amanda Pitman (Cornell's Center for Regional Advancement) Jay Katz (NY Ventures) Rob Poltrino (Skull Diamond Heart Capital) Tom Quinn (WNY Impact Investment Fund) Richard Honen (Phillips Lytle LLP) Stuart Angert (Independent Health Foundation) Michelle Crimi (Clarkson University) Michael Klaczko (Excell Partners) Dina Uzri (UR Ventures) Jason Bartz (Vero Technologies) Chad Williams (Buffalo Fashion Runway) Madison Bryant-Wagstaff (MFC Collective) Bobbie Armstrong (Right to Start Coalition) Elena Garuc (FuzeHub) Doug Benel (Research Foundation for SUNY) Flossie Hall (Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center) Chris Suozzi (GCEDC) Joe Sayre (NYSEG / RGE) Christian Coyne (Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP) Zack Pecenak (NY Ventures) Satish Kunchakuri (Google) Josh Nelson (NY Ventures) Abigail Forth (Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP) Patty Rechbeger (FuzeHub) Grand Prize Judges In the final round of the NYBPC, an elite panel of judges evaluates the top ventures and selects the Grand Prize winner. These judges bring deep experience in venture capital, startup growth, and economic development: Vikram Agrawal (Levrx) Jennifer Tegan (NY Ventures) Marnie Lavigne (Launch NY) David Brown (Impellent Ventures) Their insights are invaluable, not only in selecting winners, but in helping founders take their next steps beyond the competition. A Community Effort In total, nearly 50 judges contribute at the statewide level, with more than 100 supporting regional competitions. Their collective effort reflects a shared commitment to fostering innovation, supporting student entrepreneurs, and driving economic growth across Upstate New York.