LaunchPad Student Start-Ups Win in the 2026 New York Business Plan Regional Competition
Seven Syracuse University Libraries’ LaunchPad student start-up teams won prizes at the Central New York regional qualifier of the New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC), powered by Upstate Capital Association of NY, held at Onondaga Community College on March 20, 2026. The first five of those teams will be advancing to Round 2 to compete on April 22, 2026, at the Golisano Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship in Rochester.
Teams advancing to Round 2 in Rochester include:
- Dylan Bardsley ’26 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), co-founder of Clarity
- Haley Greene ’26 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), founder of Miirror
- Nathan Brekke ’26 (College of Engineering and Computer Science), co-founder of Phloat LLC
- Frederick Zindell G’27 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), founder of Renewed Roots
- Celes Buffard ’27 (School of Information Studies), founder of SecondWave
Additional regional winners included:
- Jacob Lutsky ’28 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), founder of One Dark Night
- Tommy Brown ’28 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and School of Information Studies), founder of Palmm
The NYBPC attracts some of NY State’s best student entrepreneurs. The competition promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for college students from across the state who pitch their business plans to seasoned investors. They also receive the opportunity to engage with mentors and judges from the business community. The Finals event connects students with business professionals, provides experiential learning opportunities through competitions, connects entrepreneurs with resources at the Entrepreneurship Expo, and awards up to $100,000 in cash prizes to help seed new ventures. This year 337 teams across New York State will participate in the competition.