7th Annual Student-Preneur Conference Showcases Students’ Innovations and Entrepreneurial Ventures

Mercy University School of Business hosted its 7th Annual Student-Preneur Conference on April 15, drawing more than 300 participants and culminating in a competitive business plan pitch competition that highlighted the entrepreneurial talents of students from diverse academic backgrounds.

Schools of Business Dean Victor Petenkemani set the tone for the day with his opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship. "Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business,” Petenkemani said. “It's a pathway to upward mobility. It empowers individuals to turn ideas into action, and to solve real problems because that's really what entrepreneurs are. They create opportunities not only for themselves but for others."

Dr. Kristin Greenwood, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, echoed this sentiment while addressing the student entrepreneurs directly. "You represent the very best of emerging business leaders, individuals embracing our traditions of entrepreneurship as problem solvers, innovators and changemakers," Greenwood said. "Your ideas reflect not only your integrity and ingenuity, but also a deep commitment to creating values in your community."

Greenwood went on to highlight the university's holistic approach to entrepreneurial education. "At Mercy University, we are not only confining entrepreneurship to a single program or discipline. We spread it across our university, across all our collaborative partnerships that we have across Westchester, the Bronx and Manhattan," she explained. "Entrepreneurship has become essential, an essential component to all of our education. It equips our students not only to adapt to change but to lead that change and that is what you are doing here today."

The conference featured a keynote address from Deborah Novick, director of entrepreneurship and innovation for Westchester County's Office of Economic Development, who encouraged students to treat their ideas like businesses from day one. The school's inaugural Entrepreneurial Spotlight showcased a student-led interview with Elena Rivera-Cheek, founder and CEO of C&A Digital, who shared her career journey and emphasized the critical importance of hard work, tenacity, and continuous learning. An Entrepreneur EXPO rounded out the programming, highlighting both local and student entrepreneurs.

The conference marked significant growth for the annual event, with attendance increasing 20% from 2025 and representing substantial expansion since 2022. The event was livestreamed via Zoom to Mercy's Manhattan and Bronx campuses, as well as to partner high schools. High school engagement doubled this year, with more than 60 students attending from Lincoln High School in Yonkers and Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, along with their teachers and administrators.

Entrepreneurial Spotlight with Elena Rivera-Cheek, founder and CEO of C&A Digital

Business Plan Competition and Grand Finale

The 2026 Business Plan Competition featured 38 students representing 29 teams. Participants represented all three Mercy campuses and spanned undergraduate and graduate programs across diverse academic backgrounds, including education, legal studies, sport management, liberal arts, criminal justice and computer science. Students from the Schools of Health & Natural Sciences, Business, and Social & Behavioral Sciences also participated. 

Five finalist teams presented their business proposals to a panel of industry experts and business leaders at the grand finale. The judges included event sponsors Umran Beba and Korhan Beba of the Beba Innovation & Entrepreneurship Foundation, Rivera-Cheek, alumnus Andrew Boryk '17, cofounder of Lunchbox, Novick, and Mercy University Board of Trustees Member Phillip Grant, M.B.A. ’08.

Nadia Alghazaly, a freshman, took first place with Navera, a backpack featuring a washable liner that separates from the bag's structure, allowing for easier cleaning and extended product lifespan. The idea came to Alghazaly just two hours before submission deadlines while cleaning her own backpack.

"Winning felt completely surreal," Alghazaly said. "I almost didn't enter at all, so placing first is something I never imagined. I often doubted it all because I was competing on my own and because I'm a freshman."

Nadia Alghazaly

As the first-place winner, Alghazaly will represent Mercy at the Global Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization's 43rd Global Conference & Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida.

Xavier Harris and Calvin Garrick secured second place with RagePAD, a durable, noise-reducing strike pad designed to help gamers safely release frustration. The company was co-founded by Harris and his 14-year-old brother, a cancer patient and young entrepreneur.

"I wanted to help my little brother take his business off the ground," Harris said. "It taught me a lot about the business and marketing side of things."

From left to right, Calvin Garrick and Xavier Harris

Third place went to Fresh Out of the Box, presented by Zahara Acevedo and Amare Brathwaite. The fashion-forward brand offers stylish hats with natural hair attached, designed to help women experiencing medical hair loss feel confident during their recovery journey. The concept was inspired by Acevedo's personal breast cancer experience.

"Through this experience I learned about resilience and perseverance and believing in your purpose," Acevedo said.

The other finalist teams included Cooliere Coolers, a wheeled cooler designed to handle various terrains without tipping, presented by Jasmine Espinoza, Reanne Rockhead and Ariana Young, and HerBella, protective period shorts presented by Isabella Vanegas and Sachin Sadhu.

From left to right, Amare Brathwaite and Zahara Acevedo

Raising the bar

Korhan Beba, who has reviewed more than 1,000 business ideas as director of the Beba Foundation, praised the quality of this year's competition. "At Mercy University every year, I think the bar is being raised," Beba said. "This year was not an easy decision as in previous years."

Dean Petenkemani agreed, looking toward the future with optimism. "The Student-Preneur conference is becoming very competitive, and it shows that we are doing something right," he said. "The work we are doing through this conference is just the beginning. In the years ahead we are committed to expanding and strengthening this program so that even more students can benefit from this transformative experience."

In closing, Professor Robert F. Bohn, who created and led the conference, said the conference offers a high impact platform for nurturing future business leaders and shows their creative potential.

"Perfection may not be attainable but by chasing perfection, we can catch excellence. We caught excellence with the 7th Annual Student-Preneur Conference/Business Plan Competition,” said Bohn. “Our entrepreneurial students know that the best way to predict the future is to create it. The jobs they want have not been created yet."

Professor Rober Bohn congratulates Business Plan competition winner Nadia Alghazaly