William Paterson University‘s Cotsakos College of Business recently held its 2019 Pitch Tank Competition and announced the winner, who will go on to compete at UPitchNJ, a statewide collegiate business model competition.
The winner of this year’s $3,000 first prize was Mojahed “Moe” Hamdeh of Wayne, a senior majoring in financing and professional sales and founder of “Employ Me!” an app that connects entry-level potential employees to employers.
Hamden said his employment platform targets students from ages 16 to 25 who are seeking employment or internships, and matches them with employers who are seeking entry-level roles.
Four other students also won prizes for their ideas in the final round of the competition, a six-month process that includes writing a detailed business plan and seeking advice from mentors and professors. Presentations were judged on innovation, the school said, as well as need and market, revenue and sustainability, investment requirements, marketing and launch, and preserverance and competence.
“We are grateful to the faculty, staff and judges who continuously promote a spirit of entrepreneurship among our students,” Siamack Shojai, dean of the Cotsakos College of Business, said. “I congratulate the William Paterson students who participated in the competition for making us proud.”
The other student winners were:
- Adrian Rodriguez of Paterson, a senior majoring in financial planning and economics, won the second place award of $2,000 for developing Pocket Advisor, a web platform for users to aggregate financial data to help manage their financial lives.
- Kacper Boguszewski of West Milford, a sophomore majoring in sales, won the third place award of $1,000 for Wheel Hub, a web platform for car enthusiasts to locate and purchase aftermarket wheels that will fit their car.
- Sherif Gharib of Little Falls, a junior majoring in accounting, won $500 for Sheakon, an inflatable bed rail for toddlers.
Hamdeh will compete with his app at UPitchNJ on April 26 at Seton Hall University.
