2026 Business plan competition congratulations!

First place ($25,000): Purvis Fish & Chips
Team Members: Avery Sheppard, MMH ’26
Purvis Fish and Chips is a waterfront restaurant serving premium, locally sourced fish from a six-generation family fishery, delivering an authentic dining experience rooted in tradition and quality.

Second place ($7,500): Reland
Team Members: Katelynn Wiseman, MMH ‘26, Miya (Wei) Deng, MMH ‘26, Aiden (Yiming) Chen, MMH ‘26
Reland defines a new category of airport hospitality that transforms layovers into recovery wellness sessions.

Third place ($5,000) + Audience Choice Award ($500): Kube & Co.
Team Members: Benjamin Gibson ‘29, Michael Dizon-Bumann ’26
Kube & Co transforms iced coffee by turning ice into an enhancement, not a compromise, with flavored coffee cubes that eliminate dilution and improve flavor as they melt. Through café partnerships and direct-to-consumer sales, we deliver premium experience for consumers while enabling cafés to generate incremental revenue from every iced coffee.

Honorable Mention ($1000): Nocturne
Team Members: Sophia Wang ‘26, Henry Toll ‘26, Hamid Rezaee ‘26, Evan Ye ‘27
Nocturne is a melatonin-free sleep aid drink with 8 natural ingredients that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep without grogginess, dependency, or rebound insomnia. It works with your body’s own sleep chemistry, so you wake up sharp and ready to perform, not sedated.

Honorable Mention ($1,000): Better Tales
Team Members: Paulina Alexandra Endara ‘26
Better Tales is a forest-friendly, flavor-first chocolate brand that produces at origin to connect farmers with consumers through hospitality-driven tasting and retail experiences at destination. By capturing value across both ends, it enables better farmer compensation while supporting forest preservation and regeneration.

Watch the 2026 Competition

2026 BPC Photo Album

News

• Nolan School BusinessFeed (April 24, 2026): Hospitality competition winner plans to expand restaurant into a chain

A special thank you to our sponsors and judges:

Title Sponsors

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15
• Robert A. Alter ’73

Platinum Sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00

Gold Sponsors

• Playa Hotels and Resorts
• Edward Hurowitz ’19

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

Finals Judges

• Ashwin Kamlani, MMH ’03, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hyperfunnel
• Chris Kirby ’14, Founder, Ithaca Hummus
• Kristen McClellan ’12, Founder & CEO, Snap Wellness

Semi-Finals Judges:

• Tom Botts P ’26, Upgrade
• Steve Chasen ’91, Deep Channel Partners, LLC
• Mike Greene ’13, Skylark
• Susan Harrison ’83, World Finer Foods
• Warren Leeds ’84, P ’14 & ’19, Dartcor Enterprises
• Dan Leyva ’14, Taco Azul
• Jess Petitt ’05, Hilton
• Krishna Sasank Talasila ’14, Stayflexi
• Stacey Silver P ’25, Silver Hospitality Group
• Grace Van Hollebeke ’19, Tern

2025 Business plan ompetition

First place ($25,000): Aunt Flo’s Kitchen
Team Members: Armita Jamshidi ’25 (A&S), Monica Lee ’26
84% of women experience period cramps, yet 60% refuse to take medication due to its unnatural nature. Cramp Bites by Aunt Flo’s Kitchen are indulgent snacks with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, thereby providing nutrient-based support to tackle menstrual cramps.

Second place ($7,500): BoatCape
Team Members: Hayden Earl ’25
BoatCape is a boutique boat charter experience that serves Cape Cod and its surrounding barrier islands.

Third place ($5,000): Hermit
Team Members: Akhil Damani ’25 (CALS), Matthew Puzzini ’25, Jacob Berchtold ’25 (Dyson)
Hermit lets travelers park for free at the airport and earn money by renting out their cars, while offering renters affordable, fully insured vehicles.

Honorable Mention: Deal Sprint
Team Members: Ananya Jain, MPS ’25 (Johnson), Celina Chen ’27, Yuvraj Sarda ’27
Deal Sprint is a last-minute hotel booking platform for India that connects business travelers to unsold hotel rooms through a private bidding model tailored to the Indian market.

Honorable Mention: Flaps
Team Members: Benjamin Lin ’25, Harry Han ’25
Flaps is a platform that connects private jet travelers to private jet charter companies in minutes.

WATCH THE 2025 COMPLETION2025 BPC PHOTO ALBUM

News

Nolan School BusinessFeed (May 5, 2025): Snack Startup Cramp Bites Wins Hospitality Business Plan Competition

A special thank you to our sponsors and judges:

Title Sponsors

Sandy Solmon, P ’15
Robert A. Alter ’73

Platinum Sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00
• Anthony Capuano ’87

Gold Sponsors

• Playa Hotels and Resorts
• Edward Hurowitz ’19

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton
• Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

Finals Judges

• Tony Capuano ’87, President & CEO, Marriott International
• Taylor Hardy ’19, CEO, Hardy World, LLC
• Chris Hemmeter ’86, Managing Partner, Thayer Investment Partners
• Meli James ’00, Co-Founder, Mana Up and President, Hawaii Venture Capital Association

Semi-Final Judges

• Elaine Chon-Baker, Mokja Ventures
• Robert Frisch MBA ’13, Firelight Camps
• Susan Guerin ’83, World Finer Foods
• Tom Botts, P ’26, Uplift
  Kim Hehir ’94, Brutus Broth
  Monica Digilio, Compass Advisors, LLC
• Jason Herthel, Montage International
  Eddie Hurowitz ‘19, HB Capital Group
• Warren Leeds ’84, Dartcor Food Services
• Jacob Wright MBA ’24, Skyward Hospitality

2024 Business plan competition

First place ($50,000): spekld
Team Member: Jonah Gershon ’24
Spekld is the first ever stick of brown butter offering the delectable toffee and nutty flavors of brown butter without the hassle of making it. Use spekld in any recipe for immediate flavor enhancement or even just spread it on toast!

Second place ($15,000): AREA
Team Members: Hadley Jetmore ’25, Calvin Lee ’24, Emma Warden ’25
AREA builds EventTech software that enhances operational efficiency and provides business insights to event owners and managers.

Third place ($10,000): GreenAcres Processing
Team Members: Danielle Falcon, MBA ’24, Hailee Greene, MBA ’24, Alex Wright ’27
GreeneAcres Processing is a seed-to-solution company building the industrial hemp supply chain by growing and processing industrial hemp into fiber and hurd for use in manufactured goods. We have two primary revenue streams: the sale of processed hemp fiber to building material manufacturers and our hurd-based go-to-market product, the GreeneBloc.

Honorable Mention: Beacon
Team Members: Francine Aclan, MMH ’24, Raquel Rupisan, MMH ’24
Beacon offers an accessible luxury glamping experience to guests with disabilities

Honorable Mention: CareerVice (Coffee Chat Studios)
Team Members: Theo Belin ’26, Felipe Lopez ’26, Ethan Nagasako ’26, Lucas Suero ’26
CareerVice is a recruitment media company that collaborates with company recruitment teams to create and post tailored, engaging short-form content, podcasts, and videos on our CareerVice platform. Our mission is to facilitate equitable recruitment opportunities for all young professionals..

2024 BPC PHOTO ALBUM
FULL COMPETITION VIDEO
AWARDS ANNOUCEMENT

News

Nolan School BusinessFeed (May 1, 2024): Hotelie’s Brown Butter Startup Wins Hospitality Business Plan Competition (cornell.edu)

A special thank you to our sponsors and judges:

Title Sponsors

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15
• Robert A. Alter ’73

Platinum Sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00

Gold Sponsors

• Playa Hotels and Resorts
• Edward Hurowitz ’19

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton
• Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

Finals Judges

• Meli James ’00, Co-Founder, Mana Up and President, President Hawaii Venture Capital Association
• Diana Dobin, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, Valley Forge Fabrics
• Tyler Carrico, Partner, Thayer Ventures

Semi-Final Judges

• Gilad Berenstein, Brook Bay Capital
  Dayna Blank, Playa Hotels & Resorts
• Kenny Blatt ’81, P ’28, CPG Real Estate
  Tom Botts, P ’26, Uplift
  Zach Demuth, MMH ’16, JLL
• Monica Digilio, Compass Advisors, LLC
  Jason Herthel, Montage International
• Eddie Hurowitz ’19, HB Capital Group
  Stacy Silver, P ’25, Silver Hospitality Group
• Jason Spillerman, Vibrant Development Group

2023 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Citizens of the World
Team Member: Lucas Suero ’26
Citizens of the World is an NGO designed to introduce young adults to a life of philanthropy. They sponsor young adult travel to communities worldwide, allowing them to find their passion.

Second place ($7,500): Team Ryokan Ikigai
Team Members: Adrian Elduque, MMH ’23, Adam Joffe, MMH ’23, Yui Kawamura, MMH ’23, Kartikeya Khanna, MMH ’23, Leon Provost Jr., MMH ’23
Ryokan Ikigai is an innovative hotel concept, located in upstate NY. It will be a traditional Japanese Ryokan, centered around Onsen, or hot-spring baths, elaborate in-room Kaiseki meals, and Omotenashi, or elevated Japanese hospitality.

Third place ($5,000): Team Stage
Team members: Ryan Degraw, MMH ’23, Johanna Jackson, MMH ’23, Matthieu Laurens, MMH ’23, Melody Madhavan, MMH ’23, Mari Okamura, MMH ’23
Stage offers a platform for urgent hiring in the hospitality industry that leverages on a pool of quality talent.

Honorable Mention: Tribe
Team members: Christopher Browne, MPS-RE ’23, Saamia Bukhari, MMH ’23, Benjamin Hirschfeld, MBA ’23
Tribe is a community-based platform that fosters rich social connection by empowering users to join and host experiences in their local community.

Honorable Mention: Abilitate
Team members: Lyon Li ’23, Kushagra Jain ’23 (A&S)
Abilitate is an end-to-end metaverse based training solution for hospitality businesses. By training servers, bartenders, housekeepers, and other customer facing positions in a virtual environment, their training modules include POS, customer service, dish identification,

WATCH THE 2023 COMPETITION

BPC 2023 PHOTO ALBUM

Presentation Time Stamps

• Stage – 0:00
• Abilitate – 21:30
• Citizens of the World –
• 42:40
• Tribe – 1:03
• Ryokan Ikigai – 1:24:34
• Awards – 1:49:48

News

• Nolan School BusinessFeed (April 28, 2023): NGO Connecting Young Adults to Philanthropy Wins Business Plan Competition

Title sponsor

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15,

Platinum sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05

Silver sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

Finals Judges

• Zach Demuth, MMH ’16, Head of Americas Hotel Research, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group
• Chris Hemmeter ’86 (A&S), P ’22, Managing Director, Thayer Ventures
• Gilda Perez-Alvarado ’02, Global Chief Executive Officer, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group

Semi-final Judges

• Kenny Blatt ’81, CPG Real Estate
• Monica Digilio, Compass Advisors, LLC
• Cullen Gilchrist, Union Kitchen
• Jason Herthel, Montage International
• Steven Hurowitz, P ’19 & ’21, HB Capital Group
• Warren Leeds ’84, P ’14 & ’19, Dartcor Food Services
• Ondrea Levitt-Schiciano ’92, Levitt-Fuirst Insurance
• Bill Minnock ’79, MBA ’83, Former Mariott Executive
• Stacy Silver, Silver hospitality Group
  Ellen Yui, P ’14 & ’19, YUI+Company

2022 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Outer Space
Team Members: Alex Barr ’24, Nadeem Gangat ’25 (Dyson), Samuel Nichols ’24 (ILR), Jude Rizzo ’25 (A&S), Bill Tong ’24 (Dyson)
A service that enables property owners to rent out their driveway or parking spaces on an hourly basis.

Second place ($7,500): Team High Life Cannabis
Team Members: Raul Gamble, MMH ’22, Cody Perez, MBA ’22, MPS-RE ’22
Enables our customers to create unforgettable memories through a combination of top-quality products, events, and experiential spaces.

Third place ($5,000): Team Quay Side Farm and Table
Team Members: Kenisha Paliwal ’22 (ILR), Vishwajit Sharma ’23 (Dyson), Ariel Staffin ’22
A farm-to-table styled restaurant atop a barge deck docked in waterfront cities.

Honorable Mention: Team VINE
Team Members: Tony Ling, MMH ’22, Takamichi Matsuhisa, MMH ’22, Zihan Sun, MEng ’22, Alexander Vias, MMH ’22
Links the interests of the hospitality industry with financial investors’ and end-consumers’ to revolutionize how premium beverages can be more efficiently managed and converted into both immediate cashflows and high growth alternative investments.

Honorable Mention: Team MiFood Tech
Team Members: Yingtong Li ’23, Jack Ma, MMH ’23, Mokhtar Rajai ’22 (Eng), Elizabeth Vicarte ’22 (Eng), Mi Yan MS ’22 (CALS)
A kitchen robot startup that aims to provide automated solutions for restaurants and kitchens and to reduce labor costs while maintaining a high quality of cuisine.

WATCH THE 2022 COMPETITION
BPC 2022 PHOTO ALBUM

News

• Cornell Chronicle (May 2, 2022): App connecting driveways with beachgoers win hospitality business contest

Title sponsor

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15

Platinum sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05

Silver sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

Finals Judges

• Chris Hemmeter ’86 (A&S), P ’22, Managing Director, Thayer VenturesMeli
• James ’00, Co-founder, Mana Up and President, Hawaii Venture Capital Association
• Yaniv Blumenfeld ’95, Founder and Managing Partner, Glacier Global Partners, LLC\

Semi-final Judges

• Kenny Blatt ’81, CPG Real Estate
• Yaniv Blumenfeld ’95, Glacier Global Partners
  Monica Digilio, Compass Advisors, LLC
• Susan Guerin ’83, World Finer Foods
• Steven Hurowitz, P ’19 & ’21, HB Capital Group
• Warren Leeds ’84, P ’14 & ’19, Dartcor Food Services
• Ondrea Levitt-Schiciano ’92, Levitt-Fuirst Insurance
• Jess Petitt ’05, Hilton
  Fred Singer, Singer Equipment
• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05, China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings Limited
• Jacob Wright, MBA ’22, Skyward Hospitality

2021 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Life After Life
Team Members: Shaily Patil MPS-RE ’21 (Baker), Jacob Tannenbaum MPS-RE ’21 (Baker)
Solves the problem of unaffordable and unsustainable funeral practices in America through conservation cemetery parks, experience enhancing technology, and community development.

Second place ($7,500): Team Adaptive Reuse Capital
Team Members: Noah Davis MMH ’21, Jack Levin MMH ’21, Jake Lynch MMH ’21, Janesh Patel MMH ’21
Aims to repurpose underutilized or distressed hotel assets into affordable, nurturing, and flexible independent senior living communities.

Third place ($5,000): Team Priya Hospitality
Team Members: Fareez Dossani MMH ’21, Jordan Korn MMH ’21, Chandan Sharma MMH ’21, Zachary Zaremba MPS-RE ’21 (Baker)
Aims to disrupt Indian cuisine in America through causal restaurant concepts across the country, a portfolio of consumer-packaged goods, and a media production company.

Honorable mention: Team Crave
Team Members: Boonyakorn Chandhanayingyong MPS RE ’21 (Baker), Sanjeet Dutta MEng ’21, Isa Goldberg MBA ’22, Pete Vejanurug MBA ’22, Kevin Wang MBA ’22
Develops a monetization platform designed to connect eaters to restaurants through influencers’ content, creating demand for all merchants within the F&B industry.

Honorable mention: Team RunDeVu
Team Members: Minwei Cao MBA ’22, Angad Jaspal ’21, Max Li ’23 (Eng), Gleb Margolin MBA ’22, Peter Nguyen MBA ’22
Looks to disrupt the vacation planning industry with an algorithm-based trip-planning concierge that helps busy and adventurous millennials find the unexpected path less travelled, in the most fun, painless way.

WATCH THE 2021 COMPETITION

News

• Cornell Chronicle (May 4, 2021): Green cemetery wins hospitality business pitch contest

Title Sponsor

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15

Platinum Sponsor

• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

2020 Business plan competition

Congratulations!

The 10th Annual, and first ever virtual, Hospitality Business Plan Competition was held on April 17, 2020. The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship would like to thank all of our participating teams for their hard work and flexibility as we navigated this new format.

First place ($25,000): Team Matte Black Lounges
Team Members: Shucen Ding MMH ’20, Yi Xuan Huang ’20, Lyon Li ’23, and Gabe Trumbo MBA ’21
Matte Black Lounges is focused on bringing modern airport lounges to currently underserved, mid-market, domestic airports.
View presentation

Second place ($7,500): Team farmVal
Team Members: Ashley Bacalso MILR ’20, Shiang-Wan Chin MEng ’19, PhD ’22, Tamara Sato ’22
farmVal makes the process of growing wine smarter, more efficient, and more reliable through a combination of Cornell PhD patented research, machine learning, and industry expertise.
View presentation

Third place ($5,000): Team PediCure
Team Members: Jordan Gorelick MEng ’20, Bryan Hyland ’21, Jialin Ke ’20 (HumEc), Jessica Tao ’20 (CALS), Joshua Zhu ’20 (CALS)
PediCure is a toenail trimmer that empowers elderly adults to reclaim independence in their grooming experience. Our device is to be sold to caretakers.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Dream Haüs
Team Members: Chris Gartrell ’20, Oren Michaely ’20 (Eng)
Dream Haüsis a platform that ncorporates homebuyers’ tastes and preferences through a visual search to save realtors and home-buyers time and money.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team LayOP
Team Members: Armaan Goyal ’22, Aditya Narayanan ’21 (A&S), Ananth Palaniappan ’21 (Eng), Abhinav Prasad ’21 (A&S)
LayOP aims to leverage analytics tools and big data to help hospitality property managers and employees make informed decisions to optimize their service and increase revenue.
View presentation

News

• Cornell Chronicle (April 23, 2020): Airport lounge idea wins hospitality business plan competition

Title Sponsors

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15

Platinum Sponsors

• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05
  Bob Alter Family

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

2019 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Speak2 Systems
Team Members: Ori Belson ’19 (MEng), Timothy Buttigieg ’19
Speak2 Systems is focused on improving the well-being and quality of life of intubated patients within intensive care units worldwide.
View presentation

Second place ($7,500): Team BoutiquePlus+
Team Members: Yennie Handika MMH ’19, Xiaokun Qin ’19, Yibing Sun ’19, Mengmeng Wang MMH ’19
BoutiquePlus+ is a hospitality digital marketing management company that helps Chinese boutique and lifestyle hotels manage social media, build a substantial online presence, foster customer relationship management, and evaluate social media related revenue management solutions at an affordable price.
View presentation

Third place ($5,000): Team MYSE Center
Team Members: Ghali Jorio ’21, Michael Zhang MBA ’20
MYSE Center is a coworking and accommodation space designed for fast moving young entrepreneurs and community driven travelers.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Entroterra
Team Members: Gemma Richardson MMH ’19, Nicole Cusenza MMH ’19, Anushae Feerasta MMH ’19 Entroterra proposes a lodging business in the Hudson Valley that would provide farm and culinary programming both on site and through partnerships with local farms.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Wandr Yondr Members: Hugh Bullen ’19 (Eng), Gizem Kilic PhD ’21, Mardochee Reveil ’18 (Eng)
Wandr Yondr introduces a platform that allows tourists to book amazing, safe experiences with locals on their Caribbean vacations.
View presentation

WATCH 2019 COMPETITION HERE

News

• Cornell Chronicle (March 27, 2019): Student hospitality startups win $37.5K at competition

Title Sponsor

• Sandy Solmon, P ’15

Platinum Sponsors

• Stanley Sun ’00, MBA ’05
• Bob Alter Family

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75
• Charles DesLauriers MPS ’78

2018 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team YNot Bike
Team Members: Sam Barnum ’19 (ILR), Davis Bruch ’20, Stephanie Forester ’19, Will Murphy ’18 (Eng)
YNot Bike introduces a revolutionary mode of transportation that allows users to call a bike using their phone and the bike will roll to them.

Second place ($7,500): Team Fitz
Team Members: Frank Baptista MMH ’18, Samantha Cohn MMH ’18, Richelle King MMH ’18,
Sage Patel MMH ’18, Margaux Verbeeck MMH ’18
Fitz aims to create a mobile application providing hotel guests access to an array of personal trainers and use of hotel fitness facilities.
View presentation

Third place ($5,000): Team Rewardzzz
Team Members: Hunter Friedland ’19, Spencer Goldsmith, ’20 (A&S), Lorenzo Masias ’20
Rewardzzz is developing the first universal rewards-exchange program through their app, acting as a digital wallet for rewards points.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Campagna
Team Members: Tamar Paikowsky MMH ’18, Aida Scarpati MMH ’18, Tiange Xiao MMH ’18
Campagna proposes an upscale casual farm-to-table restaurant concept featuring local and seasonal menu offerings.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Synwell Consulting
Team Members: Yibing Sun ’19, Hongwei Wang ’18 (HumEc)
Synwell Consulting strives to provide senior living facilities with foodservice consulting to enhance personalized nutrition.
View presentation

WATCH 2018 COMPETITION HERE

Platinum Sponsors

• Greg Dollarhyde ’80, MBA ’81
• Diana Dobin, Valley Forge Fabrics
• Warren Leeds ’84, Dartcor Food Services
• Sandy Solmon, P ’15, Sweet Street Desserts
  The Sun Family:
• Stanley ’00, MBA ’05 and his parents, Dennis and Betty

Silver Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

2017 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Natural Cuts
Team Members: Vipul Prakash Saran, MPS ’17 (CALS), Harrison Willis, MPS-RE ’17
Natural Cuts will provide shelf-stable, fresh-cut produce to the foodservice sector.
View presentation

Second place ($7,500): Team Bill’s
Team Members: Will Mangan MMH ’17, Lydia Xu MMH ’17
Bill’s offers a rotating selection of flavor-forward beer designed and driven by the customer.
View presentation

Third place ($5,000): Team Doña Nata
Team Members: Angela Lindsay ’17, Antonio Miceli MMH ’17, Natalia Ruiz MMH ’17
Doña Nata is a food hall management service that offers an immersive experience in Mexican cuisine and spirits.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team CHOMP
Team Members: Ben Guzick MMH ’17, Alex Szwyd MMH ’17, Varun Vesuvala MMH ’17
CHOMP is a full service sandwich restaurant tailored for university cities.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Latitude
Team Members: Gauri Khanna ’17 and Sonali Tolani ’17 (Dyson)
Latitude will develop a geolocation-based mobile application that allows tourists to discover the hidden gems of a city as well as connecting with other tourists.
View presentation

WATCH THE 2017 COMPLETION HERE

News

• Hotel News Resource (March 28, 2017): Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition Highlights Student Entrepreneurs
• Cornell Chronicle(March 22, 2017): Food preservation team wins hospitality business contest

Platinum Sponsors

• Greg Dollarhyde ’80, MBA ’81
  Sandy Solmon, P ’15

Sponsors

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00
• Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75
  The Sun Family: Stanley ’00,
• MBA ’05 and his parents Dennis and Betty

Supporter
Karim Abouelnaga ’13

2016 Business plan competition

First place ($25,000): Team Last Second Beach
Team Members: Owen Buehler ’16 (Eng), Zach Demuth MMH ’16, Harrison Goldstein ’18 (Eng), Khalid Ladha MMH ’16
Last Second Beach is a mobile-first aggregation platform. Designed for value-driven consumers seeking to book short beach vacations like all-inclusive resorts and cruises, it also offers distributors a new, targeted, lower cost distribution channel.
View presentation.

First place ($25,000): Team Maidbot
Team Member: Micah Green
Maidbot will offer hotels a robotic cleaner to assist room attendants in cleaning rooms and public spaces, saving money and improving safety and health of room attendants.
View presentation.

Third place($5,000): Team Chill
Team Members: Hannah Basra ’17, Joseph Bell ’17, W. Spenser Cardenas ’17, David Luo ’17
Chill proposes to sell freshly made Italian Ice in a self-serve model with personal customization of flavors, mixes, and toppings.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team IthaCave
Team Members: Ruben Abramov MMH ’16, Patrick Commane ’17 (CALS)
IthaCave will create an urban wine destination that allows customers to walk among the tanks and barrels with the winemakers.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team OVO
Team Members: Jaemo Chang MHA ’16 (HumEc), Grant Jardine ’16, Anderson Koh ’17
OVO will develop a luxurious, all-inclusive postnatal care center where mothers and their spouses can stay for up to three weeks to promote recovery and ease the transition to motherhood.
View presentation.

WTACH 2016 COMPETITON HERE

News

• Cornell Chronicle (April 6, 2016): Two student teams tie in business plan competition

Title Sponsor

• Stephen Thomson ’82

Sponsors

• Greg Dollarhyde ’80, MBA ’81
• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00 and Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75
• The Sun Family: Stanley ’00, MBA ’05 and his parents Dennis and Betty

2015 Business pan competition

First place ($15,000): Team Modern Market
Team Member: Christina Elliott MMH ’15
Modern Market is a network of direct-to-consumer commissaries offering a subscription service that delivers fresh prepared gourmet meal components.
View presentation

Second place ($5,000): Team BrewMe
Team Members: Lily Gao MPS ’16, Aigul Jumabayeva ’16, Tucker Lida ’16
BrewMe is a social network- and location-based mobile app for buying someone a drink, either an existing friend or a potential new acquaintance.
View presentation

Third place ($2,500): Team RedHead Wine
Team Members: Zach Berle ’15, Gavin Hilder ’17, Marisa Sergi ’15 (CALS) Elizabeth Shvidky ’16 (AEM)
RedHead Wine – red wine with non-traditional production methods resulting in reduced seasonal supply limitations.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team A Kneaded Hand
Team members: Dana Beninati MMH ’15, Niharika Thakwani MMH ’15
A Kneaded Hand is a non-profit training restaurant that will hire, train, and assist in job placement for young victims of food insecurity and unemployment.
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team Oh Momma! Center
Team Members: Hirman Ahmad MMH ’15, Regine Desroches MMH ’15, Ashton Liu MMH ’15, Maggie Lo MMH ’15
Oh Momma! Center is a membership-based fitness, wellness, and community-space with services addressing both the needs and the schedules of working mothers.
View presentation

WATCH 2015 COMPETITION HERE

News

• Cornell Chronicle (October 8, 2015): Business plan competition raises top prize to $25,000
• Cornell Chronicle (March 26, 2015): Students’ hospitality business plans honored

Title Sponsor

• Stephen Thomson ’82

Platinum Sponsors

• The Sun Family: Stanley ’00, MBA ’05 and his parents Dennis and Betty

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsor

• Elizabeth Shingleton Glomsrud ’00 and Barbara Foote Shingleton ’75

2014 Business plan competition

First place ($15,000): Team Saira
Team members: Harsha Chanrai MMH ’14, Felix Tabary ’14
View presentation

Second place ($5,000): Team Hummus Holdings
Team members: Salim Bure ’15, Chris Kirby ’15
View presentation.

Third place ($2,500): Team Triplanner
Team Members: Jiha Jung MMH ’14, Ha Lim Lee ’14, Darren Oh MMH ’14, Oliver Yuan MMH ’14
View presentation.

Honorable Mention: Team ONcierge
Team Members: Elsie Namnath MMH ’14, Clowie Tan MMH ’14
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team myHealth
Team Members: Anthony Brown MHA ’14, Julia Kosineski ’14, Yanlin Pei MMH ’14, Murat Uralkan MHA ’14
View presentation.

News

• Student Entrepreneurs Gain Planning Experience (and Seed Money) in Cornell Competition

Sponsors

• The Sun Family & Stanley ’00, MBA ’05 and his parents Dennis and Betty

• The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship

Platinum Sponsors

• Steve Thomson ’82

Gold Sponsors

2013 Business plan competition

First place: Team Agora Hellenic Grill
Team Member: Martin Andonov ’13
View presentation

Second place: Team Voilà Mobile Crêperie
Team Members: Tareq Ali ’13, Ethan Joseph ’13, Michael Perlman ’13
View presentation

Third place: Team Solace,
Team member: Spencer Stein ’13
View presentation.

Winner of the Stein Family Prize: Team Cairn Tented Resorts
Team Members: Robert Frisch MBA ’13, Tara Lobo ’15
View presentation

Honorable Mention: Team SakuraTerra Hospitality
Team Members: Blake Golom, Zhuodan Huang, Satoko Nagahara, Christopher O’Donnell
View presentation

News

• Student entrepreneurs go head-to-head in business plan competition

Sponsors

• The Sun Family & Stanley ’00 and his parents Dennis and Betty
• The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship

Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor