Rohrer College of Business to host finals for elevator pitch contest

April 15, 2009

The Rowan University Rohrer College of Business will host an Elevator Pitch Contest on Friday, April 17, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the South Jersey Technology Park, off Rt. 322, Mantua Township.

Sixty-five students in the College of Business participated in the preliminary stages of the contest by submitting an idea, invention or business plan lasting within a typical elevator ride of two minutes.

On April 17, seven finalists will present their pitch before a panel of business professionals and an expected 50 attendees. The top three finalists at the Friday event are eligible for a trip to the CEO National Conference where they may vie for cash prizes. The first-place student also will be given an offer to be interviewed on a Miami, Fl., radio show hosted by first-round judge Neal Asbury, an exporter who owns companies that make commercial and home appliances.

The students finalists are Caitlin Moskwa, a sophomore management major from Sayreville; Joseph Foley, a sophomore management major from Marlton; Mitch Friedberg, a junior management major from Cherry Hill; Deren Alvarez, a senior accounting major from Freehold; Jesse Van Houten, a sophomore electrical and computer engineering major from Rockaway; Daniel Jost, a junior marketing major from Vineland; Jakub Paluch, a sophomore marketing major from Garfield; Thomas Zaucha, a junior finance major from Kearney; and Andrew Vasta, a senior finance major from Randolph.

The four judges are: alumni Carol Asselta, vice president and managing partner at AKziom Consulting, and Jason Henckel, branch manager/Business Development at South Jersey Federal Credit Union; Michael Lucca, managing director of Web 2.0 Initiatives with Cogenetics Corporation; and Randi Woerner, director of Economic and Community Development, Glassboro.

The Rohrer College of Business held its first elevator pitch contest last fall, during which students presented ideas such as a business called Ozone, a lounge that would serve organic drinks and hors d’oeuvres in an environmentally conscious setting; EZ-TV, software that would allow users to search television channels like they would use Google to search the internet; and Safety Puff, a one-dosage inhaler for asthmatics to conveniently fasten to a shoelace or keychain.

This event is part of Rowan Day, during which each college at Rowan will highlight the excellence of student, faculty and staff work from the past year.

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