Friday, Feb 1, 2019
Competition sponsored by Norm Brodsky '64 showcases youth entrepreneurs
by Rachel Stengel '14
Eric Voros, a senior at Shawnee High School in Medford, N.J., won a full, four-year tuition scholarship to 91°µÍø for his business idea — Orion's Belt, a product in which a traditional-looking belt transforms into a tourniquet during emergency situations.
Voros was one of 10 high school students to showcase their business ideas in front of a panel of judges in the 2019 Norm Brodsky Business Concept Competition at Rider on Jan. 26.
"It's still hard to believe I won. I don't think it's truly set in yet because I put so much work into getting everything in order. It's a tremendous opportunity," he says. Voros plans to attend Rider and major in marketing with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Voros thought of his brother, who is a Marine, when developing his business concept. He says having a tourniquet handy is something that can truly make a difference in an emergency situation and something most people do not typically carry around with them.
"Many tourniquets are bulky, and I wanted to make it more society-friendly," he says.
The competition is sponsored by Norm Brodsky ’64, a long-time entrepreneur who has founded eight successful businesses, including Citi storage, the largest privately owned archive business in the country, and his wife, Elaine.
"I believe the education I received at Rider helped me build the companies I did and I've spent most of my life giving pro bono advice to young men and women to help them achieve their dreams," Brodsky says. "My wife and I are glad to help young enterprising people receive an education. I'm glad to see that entrepreneurship is alive and well. There is great promise in the future generation."
Applicants were required to submit a brief summary of their business concept, which was reviewed by a group of judges before the 10 finalists were selected. For the live presentations, students were split into two divisions — the Sophomore/Junior Competition and the Senior Competition. Similar to the TV show Shark Tank, each constant pitched their idea to the panel of judges and responded to questions.
In addition to the senior winner receiving a full scholarship, cash prizes were awarded to the top two students in the Sophomore/Junior Competition. The winner of the Sophomore/Junior Competition will automatically be entered into the Senior Competition. All participants were also invited to attend BRONC Tank Academy, a summer pre-college experience to explore entrepreneurship at the college-level.
Lisa Teach '02, '09, director of Rider's Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and visiting assistant professor, continues to be impressed by the young competitors.
"I'm always astounded by the creativity of the business concepts and how well the finalists are able to communicate their ideas to the judges," she says.