Student business plan competition at St. John’s University highlights innovative ideas
St. John’s University hosted its annual James and Eileen Christmas Business Plan Competition on April 10, showcasing student entrepreneurship and innovation across a range of industries.
The event is significant for encouraging students to develop business ideas that address real-world needs while supporting their academic growth. The competition received nearly 90 submissions from students, reflecting the university’s commitment to fostering creativity and practical skills.
According to Roy Weissman, Assistant Professor of the Practice at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and Director of the competition, “From close to 90 submissions, every plan is reviewed, scored, and refined through feedback from reviewers and mentors before we arrive at our finalists. Much work has been done to get here.” Five finalists were selected based on criteria such as competitive advantage, feasibility, investor potential, market opportunity, scalability, and overall value proposition.
University leaders addressed participants before presentations began. Rev. Brian J. Shanley said: “One thing yet to be proved about AI is creativity and ingenuity. Humans are capable of incredible creativity and innovation. I look forward to hearing those qualities today.” The judging panel included alumni working in consulting, finance, technology startups, academia and more.
Ryze Studios won first place with a subscription-based platform using artificial intelligence (AI) for commercial production aimed at small businesses; it was created by Tanaje Ross and Rinvel Rousseau Jr., who both described their experiences overcoming marketing challenges as inspiration for their idea. Second place went to Nishant Agarwal for The One World Café concept blending authentic South Asian dining with late-night study space for students seeking culturally familiar environments away from home; third place was awarded to Layla Santana for Crossroads—a mobile app helping college students make friends through group-based social matching at shared venues.
The university supports initiatives through centers focused on multicultural efforts according to its official website. It features campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites in Rome, Paris and Limerick according to the official website. St. John’s operates as a Catholic institution affiliated with the Vincentian Community according to its official website, offering more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools according to the official website under President Rev. Brian J. Shanley per the official website.
Additional recognition was given by student vote for Parul Suri’s PediaNova Labs—focused on pediatric therapies—and other business plans addressing health technology solutions.
