News by Topic: Entrepreneurship

RIT is among the nation’s “Most Trusted Universities” in a recent nationwide survey conducted by decision intelligence company Morning Consult, which defined trust as the belief in an institution “to do the right thing.” RIT ranks No. 37 in public trust among the top 135 doctoral research universities featured in the U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best National University Rankings.

Susan R. Holliday ’85 (MBA), who led the turnaround and growth of the Rochester Business Journal during nearly three decades as president, publisher, and owner, has been named the 2022 recipient of the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award, presented by Saunders College of Business.

Local entrepreneurs Jnicolle Glover and Charletta Broome are still on cloud nine after walking away as the top prize winners of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship ROC the Pitch competition.

Fox Rochester talks to Ebony Miller-Wesley, director of RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, about the center's ROC the Pitch business competition.

Rochester Beacon profiles Token, a Rochester-based company launched by RIT graduates in 2015 and currently chaired by Kevin Surace ’85 (electrical engineering technology).

RIT students participated in this summer’s Studio930 design consultancy, an interdisciplinary studio that focuses on the development of assistive healthcare solutions by leveraging the use of technology, art, and design. The 10-week long summer experience concluded with a student exhibition inside RIT’s LiveAbility Lab, a close partnership between RIT and the Al Sigl Community of Agencies. 

Beth Buehler, a graduate of Livonia High School, and Cody Rae Ziefel, a Dansville High School graduate, are recipients of this year’s annual E. Philip Saunders Endowed Business Scholarship. The students have been accepted at RIT’s Saunders College of Business, where they will begin classes on Aug. 22.

WXXI’s “Connections” program features Aaron Gordon ’13 (film and animation), CEO of Optic Sky, an advertising and digital experience production company.

RIT will begin offering two new Ph.D. programs beginning in the fall of 2023: business administration and cognitive science. Today, RIT enrolls 300 students in 11 Ph.D. programs.

Jorge M. Rodriguez ’15 (online Executive MBA), chief executive officer of Salt Lake City-headquartered Sorenson Communications, has more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and information technology industries—including in both domestic and international markets.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship is once again hosting its Business Pitch competition, open to all businesses operating within Monroe County. The winner will be awarded $25,000.

Local businessman and entrepreneur Bernard Kozel was known for having as much passion for helping others develop their businesses as he did for developing his own. Kozel’s dedication to supporting his partners, employees, and entrepreneurs in creating success is the inspiration behind several gifts to RIT.