Rowan University’s New Venture Competition & Expo awards more than $55K to winning teams

An annual business plan competition in which dozens of teams sought major start-up financing came down to five student groups April 18: a chicken sandwich venture with a line of house-made sauces; a referral management company; a bakery; an online production management platform; and a would-be seller of nutritional supplements for children.

After weighing presentations and carefully quizzing the teams’ presenters, a panel of judges for the Rohrer New Venture Competition (NVC) at Rowan University awarded the top prize to Circlez, the production management start-up headed by junior engineering major Aiden Tahmazian.

Making his presentation, Tahmazian predicted that the company he founded with two friends, one a neuroscience student and one a computer programmer and coder, could change the future of manufacturing.

“The most difficult thing right now is just getting off the ground,” he told the panel and a full house of attendees within Boyd Recital Hall.

Tahmazian said his software was designed to increase efficiency by enabling workers to quickly and easily record completed job tasks through a simple, online interface.

Now that he has financial support – most of it by way of a Rowan-backed convertible note – Tahmazian plans on further developing the platform’s technology so he can actively seek clients.

“We’re focused on features that can be used anywhere,” he said. “The next big thing will be attending manufacturing conferences to try and grow our base.”

In addition to the $30,000 top prize to Circlez, the NVC awarded $3,500 to second place winner Power Packs, the nutritional supplement start-up headed by sophomore entrepreneurship major Leah Fisher, and $1,500 to Happy Referral, founded by senior liberal studies major Karline Depass. As the top winner, Circlez will also receive a documentary marketing production with an estimated value of $15,000.

Also competing, freshman entrepreneurship major Samantha Tamtama presented her plan for Sammi’s Chicken Sandwiches & Sauce, while Danielle McManus, a senior entrepreneurship major, promoted her plan for La Belle Vie, a French café and bakery.

Expert judges

The annual competition, the culmination of a yearlong series of events produced by the Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (RCIE) within the Rohrer College of Business (RCB), was judged by Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc.; Reuben Bell, co-founder and partner of Ematic Enterprises, Inc.; Mengyue (J.P.) Li, CEO of Merdian Universal Health Group, Inc.; and Wendy Verna, founder and president of Octo Design.

The daylong program began with the annual New Venture Expo (NVE), a showcase of idea-stage student ventures featuring 56 interdisciplinary teams competing for $7,000 in funding. The morning session, in which nearly 70 community judges reviewed the ideas, also included contestants in the annual stARTup Gallery, through which student artists displayed and sold their works and competed for up to $600. The stARTup Gallery is curated by RCIE’s Creatives 230 program in partnership with the Department of Photography in the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts. Sales from the gallery, which went directly to the student artists, exceeded $2,700.

"The Expo is a great way for students to put their ideas to the test and start building momentum through Rowan’s entrepreneurship pipeline," said RCIE Director Jessica Vattima. "Hopefully they’ll take the feedback they received today, put it back into their idea, and continue working hard."

One of the dozens of students who presented during the NVE, sophomore physics major Ali Ishage promoted a fragrance business, Egashi, that was inspired by his family’s experience in Sudan.

“They are all natural fragrances for house and space,” he said.

The Rowan Innovation Venture Fund, a $25 million University-based private equity fund, provided financial support for the competitions.