entrepreneurship

SU student-led companies dominate the New York Business Plan Competition
By Caroline Montig...
May 1, 2017 - 12:00am
Several student businesses advanced to the New York Business Plan Competition and won first place in their categories as well as the $100,000 grand prize.

On Friday, April 28, 11 SU student teams participated in the annual New York Business Plan Competition for the chance to win the $100,000 grand prize. The companies earned their spots at the NYBP Competition after finishing first or second in their categories at the iSchool’s RvD iPrize competition in March.

Disciplined entrepreneur balances classes and business
By Alexi McCammond
January 30, 2016 - 4:59pm
Gabriela Ecalante has started three businesses, but she goes beyond these ventures to help others whenever she can.

It’s 6 a.m. on a Monday morning and Gabriela Escalante has been awake for an hour. There are no meetings, phone calls, or obligations to attend until 9 a.m., but Escalante likes to run around her rural neighborhood in Central New York – even on Monday mornings. She laces up her pink and white tennis shoes and begins a 30-minute run around her familiar course. The sun is still sleeping, but the morning’s darkness doesn’t stop Escalante from fulfilling the daily goal she has met for the past year.

Syracuse lacks resources, investments for young women entrepreneurs
By Alexi McCammond
October 6, 2015 - 6:19pm
Entrepreneurs of this demographic in Syracuse feel overlooked by resources available to others.

In 2012, a Syracuse University freshman started a business seven months after arriving on campus from Atlanta. Courtnee Futch used six Babycakes© personal cupcake makers to bake small desserts for the 726 students in her dorm building. Futch, 21, started a baking business called ThunderCakes out of her dorm room and said she now receives an average of 150 orders per week from the Syracuse area.

As female entrepreneurship at SU grows, programs needed to aid them fail to keep up
By Jocelyn Delaney
February 3, 2015 - 1:18am
SU female students show interest in starting their own companies, but the school fails to provide female-specific training on-campus or women-owned business competitions.

As a petite woman with not-so-petite breasts, Eileen Bell knew she wouldn’t find a cute bathing suit that also fit her body for spring break. That’s the thought that sat in her mind as she reunited with her friend Paige Chilson during winter break last year from Syracuse University and High Point University. Bell shared her frustration with Chilson.

Reddit co-founder dazzles SU
By Danielle Barber
February 5, 2014 - 5:02am
Alexis Ohanian entertained and imparted entrepreneurial advice Tuesday to students, faculty and community members at the iSchool talk.

A crowd of more than 200 people gathered Tuesday in the Syracuse University Sheraton to hear Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian speak about Internet entrepreneurship.

From the moment Ohanian opened his mouth, the audience erupted in laughter.

“I’ve already gotten this thing off to, I think, a pretty good start,” he said. “Now I should talk about mascots.”

Ohanian is known for drawing cute mascots for every startup he helps create. Syracuse University’s mascot Otto the Orange attended the event.

The Entrepreneurs: Weekend Starts Up a Fire
By Jillian D'Onfro
November 8, 2011 - 10:54am
At Syracuse's first annual Startup Weekend, dozens of entrepreneurs pitched, developed and competed for their business models

With conversation buzzing in a room full of people standing around holding pizza and beer, all the basic ingredients for a typical Friday night were in place. And then the Pitchfire began:

Friday evening opened Syracuse’s first-annual Startup Weekend, letting loose a slew of creativity, innovation and quick thinking on downtown Syracuse in a 54-hour event that was a far cry from typical.