Christmas Business Competition Returns to Live Action in 2022

After two years of operating virtually, the annual James and Eileen Christmas Business Plan Competition and Pitch Event returned to a live format on April 7, with 80 spectators in attendance.

This year's top honors and a prize of $5,000 went to Linh Dang and Dante Colaiacovo for Green Zone, a cannabis dispensary in New Jersey with expansion plans that include introducing vending machines over the next several years. The runner-up, with a prize of $2,000, was Alexandra Tannous for Boardroom Athlete, a program of events that enables student-athletes to meet employers and identify other opportunities. (Alexandra tested her plan recently at Carnesecca Arena on Student-Athlete Career Night). The third-place prize of $1,000 went to Jay Shah for his fee-based platform connecting musical artists and music services providers, NoLabel Music.

Harrison Harvey was the top pitch plan winner with MYLIST, a new model of managing social media, purchases, and socially responsible giving. The second-place pitch prize went to Asia McLoyd for Adulting, an application that provides students with life skills to help them plan for the future. The third-place pitch prizewinners were Avon Samuels and Carolina Evangelista for E-Grocery, a shopping service that delivers fresh groceries to students on campus.

Thirty-one 15-page business plans were presented to a panel of 18 faculty reviewers. The 10 plans that emerged from that selection process were evaluated by competition sponsor James Christmas ’70CBA, ’10HON, who served as a lead executive judge, as well as Albert Bateh ’16TCB, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EZ-Net Hair Care; Carmine P. Gibaldi, Ed.D. ’77C, ’79MBA, Professor, Administration and Economics, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies; Lucy Heckman, M.B.A. ’76C, ’77MLS, Associate Professor, St. John’s University Libraries and Head of Reference; and the evening’s keynote speaker, Jorge Jorge ’10TCB, ’13MS, President, Lisa Management.

William D. Reisel, Ph.D., Professor, Management, is the entrepreneurship competition's director and coordinator.