DAN ORZECHOWSKI
News Editor
For the third consecutive year, the Fredonia Technology Incubator will be hosting its Student Business Competition.
The competition is designed to train Fredonia students so that they can present and develop business ideas in a professional, real-life manner.
Winners of the competition will receive guidance from veteran business mentors. First-place winners will also be granted $1,200 through a paid internship and office space at the Incubator.
“The supportive environment,” said Alex Czechowski, “within the Incubator has opened the door to connecting not only other Incubator business, but with community organizations and spanning out into larger networks, specifically for us, other universities, the SUNY Incubator network and local government entities.”
Czechowski is the CEO and co-founder of Nexnest, LLC, a company that assists landlords and tenants when it comes to off-campus living. Czechowski and Nate Winn (co-founder and president of Nexnest) won last year’s student business competition.
“We have exceptional entrepreneurs at Fredonia and this competition provides students with a direct pathway to starting a business,” said Chuck Cornell, Incubator director. “This competition promotes retention of talented individuals in our community.”
Currently, the Incubator is home to 16 clients. These clients have access to Incubator resources, including legal services, business mentoring and educational workshops.
Competition applications are due March 23. Final business models are pitched to judges in April, and winners move in their office space in May.
“I am looking forward to hearing the pitches from the students,” said Monica Kemp-Simpson, program manager at the Incubator. “We’re going to have a great entrepreneurial judges ready to provide feedback.”
For more details or to apply for the competition, visit https://home.fredonia.edu/ incubator/competition.