Students win grand prize in business-plan contest
Justin Hillery and Sean Petterson founded Strong Arm Technologies Inc.
A. Sue Weisler
Students Justin Hillery and Sean Petterson are the grand-prize winners of the 2012 New York State Business Plan Competition for their Strong Arm invention.
The co-founders of Strong Arm Technologies Inc. have scored additional recognition for their entrepreneurial muscle. Rochester Institute of Technology students Justin Hillery and Sean Petterson are the grand-prize winners of the 2012 New York State Business Plan Competition.
For their efforts, Hillery and Petterson have been awarded $50,000 in cash and $20,000 worth of in-kind services.
The RIT students developed a form-fitting garment that incorporates a system of load-bearing straps that allows workers to lift heavy objects with significantly less risk of injury. The system shifts the forces of lifting from the injury-prone hands, arms, neck, shoulders and lower back and distributes them evenly to stronger and more stable areas of the torso.
The New York State Business Plan Competition, which took place April 26 in Albany, featured student-led startups from across the state competing before a judging panel that included regional and national venture capitalists, a wide range of investors and seasoned entrepreneurs. It’s among the largest collegiate business competitions in the country.
One week prior, the Strong Arm Technologies team earned top honors at the 2012 Rochester Regional Business Plan Contest, where they won a grand prize of $25,000.
Recommended News
-
November 21, 2024
![Various people put their hands together in a circle.]()
Americans agree more than they might think − not knowing this jeopardizes the nation’s shared values
An essay written by Lawrence Torcello, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, published by The Conversation.
-
November 21, 2024
![an illustrated image of a pixelated face appears next to the words real or fake.]()
Detecting digital deception
Today, artificial intelligence is being used to manipulate media. At RIT, a team of student and faculty researchers is leading the charge to help journalists and intelligence analysts figure out what is real and what is fake. Their work has more than $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation and Knight Foundation.
-
November 21, 2024
![two men sit at a table looking at a laptop. A third man leans over the table to look at the laptops screen.]()
In and out of Africa
Africa is rich in natural resources and contains one of the most diverse ecosystems across the globe. The Sahara Desert itself is larger than the continental United States. With all the unique landscapes, wildlife, and growing urban areas, more than 30 RIT faculty have recognized the importance of traveling to the continent, all backed by RIT Global.
-
November 20, 2024
![Five black men stand in a semicircle in a small garden in Kenya.]()
RIT professor helps to tackle energy access in rural Africa
Williams’ collaborative work tackles the subject of energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, the United Nations established Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
