Clarkson University Student Andrew Wegner of Farmington, N.Y., Wins First-place Prize at New York State Business Plan Competition

2013 Jun 5

Andrew Wegner of Farmington, N.Y., a Clarkson University sophomore majoring in financial information & analysis, is part of a student company, which was awarded a first place prize in the fourth annual New York State Business Plan Competition held at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany.

Innovative Delivery Systems (IDS) took first place in the products/services category and won $10,000 cash and professional services valued at $5,000. The student ran business competed against more than 430 business teams from 60 colleges and universities across New York state.

IDS created "OrdrIT," a Web application, which allows spectators to access a stadium's concession menus and order food from their seats without missing the action. The company, which began in a first-year business class in fall 2011, has earned nearly than $70,000 in awards and collegiate business competition winnings since then.

The firm has hired a sales representative to help get OrdrIT into stadiums, arenas and performing arts theaters.

The team plans to use their award for product distribution, in-house marketing at venues and product development

See a video about IDS and OrdrIT at http://youtu.be/eJpdS5nrEAw

Expanded to cover all 10 economic development regions of New York for the first time, in accordance with Governor Andrew Cuomo's Regional Development Councils roadmap, this year's event drew a record number of entries, further cementing its recognition as the largest competition of its kind in the nation. The final round featured a total of 88 student-led start-ups from 33 colleges and universities that presented business plans for innovations in the areas driving the 21st century economy, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and clean energy, among others.

More than 60 students from five North Country colleges and universities converged on Clarkson in March to pitch their businesses in the first North Country Regional Business Plan Competition, cohosted by Clarkson's Reh Center for Entrepreneurship and SUNY Plattsburgh's Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Eight teams from the North Country, seven of them from Clarkson, advanced to the finals in Albany.

The New York State Business Plan Competition was established in 2009 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York State's colleges and universities.

SEFCU and SUNY served as the event's Title Sponsors, with the competition jointly presented by College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany on, University at Albany's School of Business, and Syracuse University. The winning teams were selected by a panel of national venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers, and seasoned entrepreneurs.

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.

Photo caption: Clarkson University student-run business Innovative Delivery Systems (IDS) took first prize in their category in the fourth annual New York State Business Plan Competition. Left to right: Dietrich Diehl, Sean Cheung, Andrew Wegner and Christopher Behrens of IDS.