Three Gateway students competed April 26 at the Connecticut Collegiate Business Plan Competition, a head-to-head contest with the best entrepreneurial students throughout the state. Chris Warner, North Haven, Megan Eaton, West Haven, and Frank Kuchinski, Stratford, were among 18 student teams from colleges and universities throughout Connecticut, including Yale, Quinnipiac, and Central Connecticut Universities, UCONN/Stamford, and the Universities of Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport, who competed in the event.

The competition, run by the Fairfield-based Entrepreneurship Foundation, recognizes excellence in entrepreneurship education and brings to light innovative business models with the promise of providing new jobs and economic growth for the state. The student teams, employing multi-media presentations, had just ten minutes, including Q&A, to convince a panel of judges that their business was the best investment. 

Warner, the student/entrepreneur behind Pancake Power, “a food truck serving healthy and delicious gourmet pancakes” won a $500 award for the best written executive summary in the the Personal Business category and another $500 for second place for his overall business plan and 10-minute presentation.

Eaton, an entrepreneur and dog-groomer/intern, presented on her emerging business, Barkin’ Green, an all-natural pet shampoo in the Personal Business category, while technology entrepreneur and Gateway student Frank Kuchinski presented in the Venture Business category on his concept for TradespersonConnnection.com, an online community linking tradespersons through an information and project sharing network.

The master of ceremonies for the event, Cliff Ennico, Esq., author and lecturer on entrepreneurship, commented positively on the outstanding quality of both presentations and shared the judges’ encouragement to continue further development of the business concepts presented throughout the day. 

The competition is supported by sponsors including the Department of Economic and Community Development, Day Pitney, Connecticut Innovations, the Angel Investor Forum, Launch Capital, Warbros Venture Partners, Lafir Thamssim, and Dolores and Cliff Ennico.