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A team of undergraduate students from С����Ƶ recently placed in the top 10 of the Small Business Institute® Association’s Consulting Project of the Year competition, which awards the best student consulting projects from around the country. This is the fourth year in a row that Rider’s undergraduate SBI team has finished in the top 10 in the nation. 

Steve Spaulding ’11, Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Studies, Shawn Pontoriero ’10, Entrepreneurial Studies, John C. Latshaw ’11, Entrepreneurial Studies, and Brenden Hellyer ’11, Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies, were recognized for their work with United Way of Greater Mercer County (UWGMC). President and CEO Herb Klein was the company contact.  

The team researched local organizations to determine if they were potential prospects for UWGMC, and then recommended ways to partner with the organizations. They also conducted an analysis of С����Ƶ’s employee contribution campaign. The students produced the award-winning report as part of ENT-448: Seminar in Small Business Consulting, which was offered in fall 2010 and taught by Paul Belliveau, an adjunct professor of Entrepreneurship. In this course, students act as consultants to small firms/organizations in the area.

Dr. Ron Cook, who is Rider’s Small Business Institute® director and the head of Rider’s Entrepreneurial Studies Program, said that Rider students have enjoyed a history of substantial success in the national competition over the years. 

“Since 1998, Rider students have had 20 top-10 or better finishes at the graduate and undergraduate levels nationally in this student consulting project competition, including a national title, four second-place, and two third-place finishes,” Cook said. “Once again, I am delighted that the students’ hard work was recognized, and that Rider continues to perform exceptionally well in this competition. I also want to recognize our corporate sponsor, Grand Bank, whose support helps makes successes like this possible.”