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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – A Dedham fire captain and fire science major took the top prize to close out BGβ’s fifth annual Viking Business Pitch Competition Thursday night.
Now in its fifth year, the Viking Business Pitch Competition is a weeks-long contest in BGβ’s AACSB accredited Bertolon School of Business that sees teams of students and individuals from across campus build businesses from an initial concept to a final pitch. Cash prizes totaling $10,000 await the finalists, selected by a panel of judges from the greater North Shore business community.
Eight finalist teams competed in the final presentations Thursday night. Taking home the $5,000 grand prize was first-place pitch First Due Fire Exams, presented by David Sheehan of Dedham, a fire science senior and captain in the Dedham Fire Department.
First Due Fire Exams is a business model that would fill a critical void for firefighters seeking to elevate their careers through promotion as they participate in civil service examinations: tutoring. With a fee assessed for access, First Due Fire Exams would provide reading materials, audio of the reading materials, quizzes, exams, flash cards, and access to a private video library and mobile app. It’s a market that’s devastatingly underserved in Massachusetts… until now.
“The next step is the hardest step – getting this thing started,” Sheehan said. “With this money, I’m going to consult an attorney for liability, copyright, all that other stuff. Attorneys aren’t cheap, so this is going to help.”
Taking the second-place $2,500 prize was LocaLink. Presented by international English majors Jingwen Zhou and Wenna Li, LocaLink is a business model looking to launch a cross-border travel mobile app. The app would streamline many aspects of trip planning – Where do you go? What do you do when you get there? – with other critical safety nets providing money safety when traveling and other security measures. Just like Uber reshaped the traditional taxi industry, LocaLink strives to revolutionize the travel industry.
Finishing third and earning $1,500 was The Cozy Bowl Vending Machine. Presented by business majors Jennifer Arevalo Merlos, Sophia Beechin, and Vin Tep, Cozy Bowl is a business model seeking to provide customers access to affordable, hot instant meals via a vending machine set up in public areas with an unmet need. Areas could include college campuses where dining halls and restaurants close early, airports with overpriced food and long lines, or corporate environments where busy schedules make traditional meal breaks inconvenient.
The remaining five finalist teams were also each awarded $250, having made it through the contest from an initial 38 competing teams.
“Congratulations to all the winners of the fifth Viking Business Pitch Competition,” exclaimed Jian “James” Gu, a professor and faculty fellow for the Center for Entrepreneurship who helps lead the competition. “Your creativity and hard work have won the day for you. It’s inspiring to see such fresh and promising ideas that have the potential to make a real impact. This achievement is just the beginning, and I hope your success will inspire you to achieve even greater successes in your entrepreneurial journeys. Well done!”
The event was generously supported by presenting sponsor Triumvirate Environmental and feature sponsor Rockland Trust.
The final competition was held in the Recital Hall of the academic building on Harrington Campus, where a crowd of Salem State students, faculty, and Salem community members watched the winners get crowned.