SUNY Cobleskill Students Pitch Innovative Ventures at Inaugural Startup Competition

Chrischen Chung speaks during his presentation.

COBLESKILL — SUNY Cobleskill hosted its first-ever Student Startup Competition on Friday, March 27, providing a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch diverse business concepts to a panel of professional judges. The event, held in Warner Hall, was organized by the Steps for Success (S4S) Entrepreneurship Program and its director Dr. Son Tran,  and sponsored by the local M&T Bank.

Participating students from various majors presented a wide array of products, services, and technological solutions. Following a format of seven-minute presentations and five-minute Q&A sessions, judges evaluated the entries based on creativity, resilience, and practical knowledge drawn from both the classroom and the broader startup world.

GoLinkly, a venture developed by students Spencer Reisman and Chrischen Chung, secured the first-place prize of $500. Reisman and Chung leveraged experience from previous entrepreneurial coursework and regular attendance at Steps for Success weekly sessions to refine their winning pitch.

The competition awarded two second-place prizes of $200 each to:

The Blooming Bayou, pitched by Khyonna Riley-Donegal.

Sacandaga Lakers SC, presented by Samuel Spraker and Jake Lewis.

Three third-place prizes of $100 were awarded to:

The Polish Purpose, by Skyla Rosado, Ashaunie Moore, Albert Sippio, and Rayner Tenna.

Skyview Grain LLC, by Ashton Thomas.

Sacred Reign, by Sarah Rashid.

A special Endeavor Prize of $50 was awarded to Ariana Cook for her business, AHA (Ariana Handmade Accessories). The prize recognized Cook’s consistent commitment to the S4S program and her creative resilience in developing her handmade accessory brand.

Organizers noted that the competition emphasized learning and growth over financial gain, with participants applying lessons from BADM 315 – Startup Business Plan Design. Several winning teams may now advance to the New York Business Plan Competition scheduled for April 2026.

"Startup competitions are not mainly about doing business, making money, or even having fun," said Professor Tran, "They are about learning, growing, and becoming stronger."

The college plans to continue the Student Startup Competition as an annual tradition to foster an entrepreneurial spirit across all fields of study.

Dr. Son Tran organized the successful event

Sacandaga Lakers SC, presented by Samuel Spraker and Jake Lewis.

Spencer Reisman

The Polish Purpose, by Skyla Rosado, Ashaunie Moore, and Rayner Tenna.