Mount alumnus Jay Paige presented "Pitfalls of Startups and How to Overcome Them" during Techstars Weekend on campus.
The Mount recently hosted Techstars Startup Weekend Newburgh, where nearly 30 young entrepreneurs cultivated their ideas for new, unique businesses.
Students from the Mount and Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) formed teams, developed their business ideas, and gave their pitches to the judges, all in a span of about 50 hours. Teams also had the opportunity to attend helpful workshops over the course of the weekend, hosted by more than a dozen local business leaders.
Jorden Hidalgo, a junior at NFA, was awarded $250 and a business bank account to help seed his idea. He pitched a mobile shower – a bus converted to have shower stalls – that could be utilized at festivals such as Burning Man. When it is not being used for events, Hidalgo would provide free showers to people who are experiencing homelessness.
Techstars Startup Weekend Newburgh was co-coordinated at the Mount by Micah Modell, assistant professor of Information Technology; Sagar Raina, assistant professor of Information Technology; Lee Fothergill, professor of Mathematics; A. Reza Hossain, professor of Economics and chair of the School of Business; Ellen Bourhis Nolan, former director of the Mount’s Career Center; Robin Rosenberg, Mount career counselor; Nikki Khurana-Baugh, vice president for Advancement; and many others.
The event was sponsored by Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan, Get Right Results, Beer World, and Focused Wealth Management.