Student storage venture wins JWU ‘Sharkfest’ competition

THIAGO RODRIGUES, class of 2019, was awarded a $5,000 stipend for his venture, Student Storage, at Johnson & Wales University's annual Sharkfest competition.
THIAGO RODRIGUES, class of 2019, was awarded a $5,000 stipend for his venture, Student Storage, at Johnson & Wales University's annual Sharkfest competition.

PROVIDENCE – A student storage venture captured first place in Johnson & Wales University’s fifth annual “SharkFest” student entrepreneurship competition Tuesday.
JWU student Thiago Rodrigues, class of 2019, was awarded a $5,000 stipend for Student Storage, which would store student belongings for a summer or a longer period of time, with pick-up and delivery available.
Rodrigues, from JWU’s North Miami Campus, developed this concept to serve students who need a place to store their items during an extended break from the academic year.
Seven student teams from all four Johnson & Wales campuses convened in Providence to pitch their business ideas to judges from the business community. They had two minutes to explain their ventures before answering questions from judges. A total of 13 students participated.
The university also awarded prizes to second and third place finishers.
Providence campus student Erin Tucci, class of 2018, was awarded second place and $2,500 for her idea of a mobile app that would provide recipe suggestions for meals based on the ingredients already in an end-user’s cupboard. Another Providence campus student, Matthew Vidovich, class of 2017, was awarded third place and $1,000 for his concept of a mobile app for restaurants in which visiting customers may order food, have it delivered to their table and pay their bill.

During the event, John Robitaille, executive director of the Larry Friedman International Center of Entrepreneurship (e-Center), said that the university has provided mentoring and support services to more than 500 Johnson & Wales students since 2011. In addition, the JWU Wildcat Venture Fund, established three years ago, is expected to have dispersed more than $100,000 by the end of this academic year. Funds are provided to the university’s qualifying student entrepreneurs to underwrite some of the costs associated with incubation, development, testing and commercialization of their ventures.
Robitaille, in a news release, said those competing in this year’s SharkFest “demonstrate the grit, courage and determination of the university’s student entrepreneurs.”
SharkFest, developed by the e-Center, allows students to meet with industry professionals, many of whom are JWU graduates, who can help them turn their ideas into actual businesses.
Last year’s runner up, Matt Tortora, who graduated last year, spoke at the event about his transition from student entrepreneur to founder and CEO of WhatsGood, a digital platform connecting farmers, fishermen and other purveyors with chefs.

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