China business wins big
FREIRICH-CONTEST JUDGES (WITH SOME SWAG PROVIDED BY CONTESTANTS) STRUGGLE TO PICK THE WINNERS.
The $20,000 first prize in the Freirich Business Plan Competition went to Sam Scxhultz ’13 in April. Schultz impressed the judges with his plan for Summer Destinations, his “dream job” of a place- ment service to match Chinese young people with summer camps in the Unit- ed States. A major in Asian studies and international affairs, Schultz studied in China and speaks Mandarin. He says the prize was thrilling, “and then reality hit. What you’d like to do and what you’ll really be able to do come into sharp focus.” In August he moved to Beijing, where he says, “I’m prepared to be fru- gal. Three meals a day? Maybe two. But I’m ready to hit the street; my goal is to sign up 15 campers this fall.” Ken Freirich ’90, president of Health Monitor Network, launched the entrepre- neurship competition three years ago and donated the $20,000 first prize. He says the judges saw Schultz’s plan as very scal- able: “He can be a trusted, reliable source and networker for Chinese families who are seeking all kinds of services in the US, and I think that's the next step for him.” Second prize—$10,000 in cash and $4,000 in legal services donated by the New York law firm Phillips Nizer—went to Alexander Nassief ’16 and Brianna Barros ’16 for Rum Dogs Inc. and its proprietary method of aging rum in barrels sub- merged in the Caribbean Sea. Third
prize—$5,000 cash, plus $2,000 in ac- counting services from the Flynn, Walk, Diggin firm—was awarded to Seth Berger ’14 to develop the firm he established in 2010, East Coast Lacrosse, into a leader in custom athletic apparel.
The winners were chosen from six fi- nalists who survived the first round. Those six re- fined their business plans with help from alumni and parent men- tors before pitching them at the finals, held at the Tang Museum. Schultz says his mentor Nancy Wekselbaum ’73, president of the Gra- cious Gourmet, spent many hours helping him sharpen his plan. The other three finalists each took home $1,000. “It gives students the opportunity to discover a part of themselves that otherwise they might never find,” says Roy Rotheim, professor of economics and the competi- tion’s director for the past three years. “This is a distinctly Skidmore event that enables students to turn their creative thought into creative action.” He and Freirich are quick to thank the mentors and judges, including Rich Fla-
WINNER SAM SCHULTZ ’13
“IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER A PART OF THEMSELVES THAT OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT NEVER FIND.”
herty, president and CEO of Cove Risk Services; Jody Klein ’85, P ’15, president of ABKCO Records; Jim Rossi ’82, managing partner of Saratoga Polo Association and chief marketing officer for the US Polo As- sociation; Mary Vail ’80, president and chief designer at Joy elles Jewelers; Cather- ine Hill, Skidmore’s Harder Professor of Business Administra- tion; Alvaro De Molina, P ’15, former CFO at Bank of America and CEO of GMAC; Susan Magrino Dunning ’83, president of the Susan Magrino Agency; Brian Kelley ’00, internet en- trepreneur and founder of
Reputation.com; Nick MacShane ’91, president of Progress Partners; Rosendo Parra, P ’13, managing direc- tor of Daylight Partners
and owner of Millennium Farms; Ellen Sherman ’68, producer of NBC’s Dateline; and Michael Stein ’89, founding partner of Pensam Capital.
The 2014 contest is already gearing up, and organizers are seeking businesspeople to serve as mentors or judges; for details, visit
skidmore.edu and search for “Freirich Competition.” —DF, SR
FALL 2013 SCOPE 9
NGHIA LUU ’14
ANDY CAMP
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