The Reh School of Business at Clarkson University challenged nine teams of first year business students to create a sustainable business with a social purpose. The teams competing for the Reh Cup began working on the concepts in the winter, creating proposals that supported profitable businesses with a significant social impact.
After two rounds of competition, the nine teams were reduced to two finalists who competed during the final day of classes, April 29th. President Anthony Collins and Reh School’s Dean Diego Nocetti judged the final round and chose Allay, a company focused on creating and selling a unique journaling system to college students, with the top prize of a $15,000 grant to support the launch of the business.
The four Clarkson students recognized the pressure students feel when life’s anxiety is added to the academic experience. One of the students had found tremendous relief during the COVID pandemic by journaling, and sharing the journaling experience with her mother. The company will be creating 300 journals to distribute to Clarkson students in the fall, using the first semester to collect pre and post data to incorporate in the development of the mental health coping tool. Once profitable, the company will donate funds to counseling centers within the college they sell journals to. The group will be working with Clarkson alumni to develop a social media and web platform to expand exposure to colleges and high schools nationally.
The second place team, Tees For Degrees, received a $5,000 grant and will be creating and selling college branded clothing, using profits to create a scholarship for students with financial need.
“The students that competed for the Reh Cup demonstrated an entrepreneurial mindset, a good foundation in finance, marketing, and operations, and excellent communication skills. Most significantly, they displayed a strong commitment to establishing and managing businesses that have a strong societal impact. If they can accomplish all of this in their first year, imagine what they will do after they graduate!” said Diego Nocetti, Interim Dean of the Reh School.
