Student Teams Win Cash Prizes for Entrepreneurial Ideas

This year’s Launch It business idea competition was the culmination of several months of ideation, exploration and mentorship by alumni with students from a range of majors. Inspired by the charge from PwC Global Chair Bob Moritz ’85 to students last spring to take advantage of the time and opportunities afforded to upskill during the COVID-19 pandemic, School of Business Dean Dr. Prabakar Kothandaraman developed the Innovation Challenge, a virtual workspace where students, faculty, staff and alumni collaboratively brainstormed ideas to solve business or social programs while building entrepreneurial skills. The program began with the ideation stage in July, followed by the venture stage in August and the “pitch” stage in September. During this time, students were partnered with alumni mentors who provided guidance and feedback as the students developed their business ideas.

Ed Alberts M’92 M’97, CEO and leader of multiple businesses, including the corporate sponsor of the first-place prize, Wired, served as the main sponsor of the Innovation Challenge as well as a coach and mentor to students in the challenge. The Innovation Challenge led to the virtual Launch It competition on Oct. 30, in which 13 student teams each had exactly 5 minutes to pitch their ideas before a panel of judges and more than 100 attendees, who were then invited to vote for the “crowd favorite.” The ideas ranged from a monthly subscription-based, chocolatesof-the-world box to a coffee shop, to several apps that offered such services as emergency assistance in a car accident, an online community that promotes positive body image for women of color, and a fashion and clothing marketplace. The winners of the 2020 Launch It competition were:

• First-place prize of $2,500, sponsored by Wired, to meteorology major Dan Maslowski ’21 for the start-up “SWTRS” (Severe Weather Threat Ranking System), coached by Mike

Colucci ’12 • Second-place prize of $1,500, sponsored by Wegmans, to business administration major Keith Loh ’20 M’21 for the “Composting Initiative,” coached by Tucker Sholtes ’15 • Third-place prize of $1,000, sponsored by Sherwin Williams, to human-computer interaction major Mairna Yousef M’22 for

“Audio Guidance for the Blind,” coached by Erin Nelson ’09 • Crowd Favorite prize of $300 to Nicole Noel ’24 for “Networking

App,” coached by Jake Berg ’04

A special thank you to the alumni who served as mentors and judges: Ed Alberts M’92 M’97, Phil Alfaro ’85, Paul Austin ’89, Jake Berg ’04, Mike Colucci ’12, Bridget Curran ’92, Mike DeCandido ’87, Jocelyn Egan ’84, Tim Fitzpatrick ’93, Aunree Houston ’00, Ron Klein ’90, Erin Nelson ’09, Paloma Sarkar M’11, Tucker Sholtes ’15, Dennis Shuler ’78, Jordan Shutts ’17 and Bill Testa ’87.

Launch It business idea competition began in 2017 to encourage students interested in entrepreneurship and to nurture the business start-up ecosystem on campus. Often considered to be the college’s own version of Shark Tank, the competition involves mentorship and coaching by alumni before students compete for a chance to win seed money for their idea. If you would like to get involved in this project, please email LaunchIt@oswego.edu, or download the Innovation Challenge app at engage.oswego.edu.

In the Spring 2020 issue, the Sheldon statue can be found in the lower left section of the photo of Carl Chappell ’09 on page 26. Grand prize winner of a College Store gift certificate and a Sheldon Hall print is William Fisher ’71. Winning Sheldon Hall prints are Joanna Colman Fabello ’01, Richard Shaheen ’86 and Joseph White ’79. A tiny replica of the Sheldon statue, pictured here, is hidden somewhere in this issue. Find the Founder and send us a letter or email with the location and page number, your name, class year and address. We will draw one entry at random from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the College Store and a print of Sheldon Hall. Send your entry by March 15, 2021, to Find the Founder, King Alumni Hall, 300 Washington Blvd., Oswego, N.Y., 13126, or email to findthefounder@oswego.edu.

Find the Founder!

The eight-day ALANA Student Leadership Conference featured many speakers, including from left and clockwise: Minnijean Brown-Trickey, Ashleigh Aviles ’13, Reynaldo Osoria ’11, Mandy Gonzalez, Toby Malone, Alaces Sarmiento ’20, Dr. Jerrell Robinson ’94 M’96, Denise Remedios ’13.

College Celebrates the 34th Annual ALANA Leadership Conference

For 34 years, SUNY Oswego has hosted the week-long ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) Student Leadership Conference, and this year, despite the challenges of social distancing, the program continued its long tradition. A robust calendar of virtual events brought together students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators as well as community members from throughout the region to participate in a range of programs. The 8-day conference opened Sept. 23 with a keynote address by Minnijean Brown-Trickey, a lifelong activist and one of the Little Rock Nine who helped desegregate public schools in the 1950s. Another highlight was a live concert Sept. 29 by Broadway star and recording artist Mandy Gonzalez, including a performance of a duet from the musical, Wicked, with theatre major Rachel Leotta ’21. The conference also included the ALANA Virtual Alumni Leadership Panel on Sept. 24, and the discussion was moderated by ALANA students Abisola Akinfenwa ’22, Yadira Aranda Burgos ’22 and Jayvana Perez ’22. The alumni participants included Ashleigh Aviles ’13, senior project manager, Latino Connection; Reynaldo Osoria ’11, tech operator, Fox News Channel; Denise Remedios ’13, leadership coordinator, George Washington University; and Dr. Jerrell Robinson ’94 M’96, EOP director, SUNY College at Old Westbury. The conversation focused on panelists’ student experiences and how their involvement at Oswego, specifically their involvement in ALANA, prepared them both personally and professionally as graduates and future leaders. The panelists stressed the importance of networking, internships and standing out in the workforce. They also discussed the impact of COVID-19 on their industries and individual careers.

The ALANA Conference also celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Peace Walk, which was created to promote unity and understanding among the campus community and the City of Oswego. The virtual celebration featured welcoming remarks from President Deborah F. Stanley, followed by remarks by Professor Kenneth Marshall, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Rodmon King, former Associate Provost for Multicultural Affairs Cathy Santos ’87 M’99, SUNY Oswego Police Chief Kevin Velzy ’83 M’14 and members of the Oswego City Police Department.

The event also featured a performance by student members of the SUNY Oswego Gospel Choir (photo above). A highlight of the event included a panel discussion of the alumni founders of the Peace Walk, Maricruz Alvarado ’12, Damaris Dunn ’12 and Quindell Williams ’11. To support important initiatives within SUNY Oswego’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, please consider making a gift to the new Diversity and Inclusion Fund online at alumni.oswego.edu/givenow.

Yusef Salaam, Exonerated Member of ‘Central Park Five,’ Presents to Campus

Yusef Salaam, who served nearly seven years for a crime he did not commit as one of the since-exonerated “Central Park Five,” discussed his story and the need for justice reform via Zoom on Oct. 6. His virtual talk was part of the college’s I Am Oz Diversity Speaker Series. Celinet Duran of the criminal justice faculty served as moderator for the talk.