F.I.T. Student Wins "New Jersey's Top Student Entrepreneur" in EO's Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Washingtoner -- On January 26, 2024, the Entrepreneur Organization's New Jersey Chapter (EONJ) hosted the local level of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park, NJ. Six of the Garden State's brightest, most innovative young entrepreneurs competed for a chance to win $5,000, as well as business mentoring and other services from the EONJ community. This year's winner: Daniel (Danny) Colon, a graduate of Manasquan High School and first year Fashion Business Management student at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Colon is the founder of Electrix Vintage, a Manasquan-based vintage clothing store that curates and reworks previously owned clothing. The business also sells via pop-up shops in New York City, as well as online. Colon will represent New Jersey at the North America GSEA competition – and if successful there, will move on to the global event.

The additional student entrepreneur finalists were:

• Anthony Macejka (Rowan)
• Brook Loza (Seton Hall University)
• Akashdeep Randhawa (Rutgers University)
• Siena Rampulla (Rowan University)
• Alex Simeon (Rutgers University)

Second place was taken by Alex Simeon, a Rutgers University student who founded MoneyUp – a financial technology company that is reimagining the payment experience for the university ecosystem. Majoring in Information Technology & Data Science and minoring in Entrepreneurship, this college junior combined both passions in an app that offers value-driven spending and rewards for college students. Second place prize was $500.

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"Competing in the NJ GSEA competition has been an amazing experience that I have learned so much from. Even before the win, the experience was invaluable to meet such established entrepreneurs and people my age pursuing entrepreneurship. The win will help push my business to the next level, not just with the cash prize, but through the guidance and assistance the other prizes will provide. I am looking forward to speaking with the mentors I now have on the next steps to take!"

"A record number of students from a wide range of esteemed colleges and universities participated in this year's competition, indicating the vibrancy of NJ's young entrepreneurial community," said Michael Schofel, EONJ's chair for GSEA. "This year's finalists were all so remarkable, with impressive business ideas and growth plans that inspired everyone in the room. We applaud their ability to balance college life with entrepreneurialism, and we know how important the tools, mentoring, and networking from the GSEA experience will be toward achieving their entrepreneurial goals."

In addition to the cash prize, Colon has access to the following services at no cost, provided by members of the EONJ community: office space (Eastman Companies); logo design and tagline development (The S3 Agency); intellectual property legal services (Myers Wolin); legal counsel on document set up (Olender Feldman); assistance with leadership profile, strategy, and financials (Haefele Flanagan); business process automation consultation (Adsworks); AI marketing strategy development (Lucy); one year of mentoring by an angel investor; and access to exclusive EONJ events.

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EONJ offers special thanks to this year's judges for donating their time: Denise Blasevick (The S3 Agency); Anthony Clarke (Aerosphere Power Inc.); David DiFreitas (Northeast Power Dry); Jonathan Hakakian (SoundBoard Venture Fund); Mohit Jain (Genie Academy); Rob Michel (Glen Eagle); Steven Schneider (Kramer Industries Inc.); and Zach Schofel (Eastman Residential).

GSEA's impact is so uniquely powerful that it was the subject of the National Geographic documentary, Own the Room. Local GSEA competitions are currently underway around the world. To learn more about the NJ GSEA competition, visit GSEA-NJ.org or email (gsea@eonewjersey.org). To learn more about EONJ, visit eonewjersey.org.

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About GSEA

The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), chronicled in the 2021 National Geographic documentary, Own the Room, is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business while attending college or university. GSEA supports student entrepreneurs by providing them with mentorship, recognition, and connections to take their businesses to the next level of success. To learn more about this international competition, visit gsea.org.