Since the SBDC at Baruch launched in 1993 its expert advisors have worked directly with 16,277 businesses, helping them to invest $110,551,952 in the area's economy and create or save 5,676 jobs. Here are some of our success stories.

EShip Spotlight: Dreamit Ventures

logoWhen France native Charlene Scavetta came to New York City to attend Baruch College a little over four years ago, she knew she wanted to study business, but wasn’t sure what specific area.   A frequent visitor to New York, Scavetta discovered Baruch College through French connections she had living in the city.  While initially undecided  about her major, Scavetta says that “as soon as I saw that Baruch was offering the Entrepreneurship program, I knew directly that was what I wanted to do.”

After graduating in February 2012 with a Bachelors in Entrepreneurship, Scavetta stayed in touch with Monica Dean, her former professor and the Administrative Director of the Field Center for Entrepreneurship.  ”She asked me if I was interested [in] having an internship with an incubator,” Scavetta reflects, “specifically DreamIt, so I [said] of course!  I met with Monica Dean and professor Ulas Neftci, and through them I got accepted to the DreamIt internship.”

Scavetta then spent the summer months working as the communications and marketing intern at Weesh (www.getweesh.com), a start-up company incubating at DreamIt that created an social iPhone app for couples.  ”I got to work with one of the co-founders, Karin Levi.  I was responsible for the marketing parts…the social media and also the communication.  I had to reach out to press agencies…I also had to promote the app to various blogs and websites.”

“The internship at DreamIt…gave me the full experience of [what it's like] to be a young and ambitious entrepreneur,” Scavetta says.  ”It allowed me to see, as an entrepreneur, which steps it takes to go from an idea to finally realize it as a business.”

Video/Article by Marisa Bramwell
MBA Candidate, Field Center Communications Manager

EShip Spotlight: MatchPuppy

When it came to searching for playmates for his young Maltese Louis, Michael Chiang found the effort was challenging and time-consuming.  So in October 2010,  Chiang created MatchPuppy, a social networking site designed to help passionate dog owners connect and arrange local play dates for their furry friends.  MatchPuppy’s beta site launched in February 2012 and quickly gained positive response from both New York City dog lovers and the national media, including Mashable (which dubbed it the “Ok Cupid for Doggy Play Dates”) and “The Jay Leno Show“.  Chiang says the response has encouraged him to expand MatchPuppy nationally.  ”Heading into the future, we plan on launching additional dog-centric services that aim to connect dog owners in new and innovative ways including creating a trusted network of dog babysitters…as well as a listing of pet-related businesses that we believe fulfill a need for the pet-related problems of our users.”

“The entrepreneurship program at Baruch has helped transform me from someone with just a crazy idea into an entrepreneur with a vision and execution strategy to achieve it,” says Chiang, who graduated from Baruch in 2011 with a degree in Entrepreneurship.

Article and video by Marisa Bramwell

EShip Spotlight: Trace VFX

Trace VFX was founded in 2010 by Baruch MBA graduates Jon Mason, Varun Parange and Baruch alumni Matthew Herman.  The visual effects company was launched upon winning first place at the 2010 Baruch College Invitational Entrepreneurship Competition, which earned them $20,000 in seed money.  With offices in New York City and Mumbai, Trace VFX provides visual effects services for a variety of productions including commercials (Super Bowl, Olympics), television (“Game of Thrones”) and movies produced in Hollywood and Bollywood.  Mason credits the guidance of Baruch’s Entrepreneurship program, professors, and the Field Center in providing a solid foundation for his business to grow.

In the inaugural episode of “EShip Spotlight,” Mason discusses his company, and how the Entrepreneurship program and professors at Baruch have benefitted him.

Employees of Trace VFX at the company’s Mumbai office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Film Armada

Film Armada, an online theatron and film community, officially launched as the Streaming Partner of the 17th Annual Nantucket Film Festival on June 20, 2012.  The site, founded by Christina Villa and Alla Bronskaya, provides a platform for independent film producers to distribute their work and for indie film connoisseurs to gather and discover new films.  “We wanted to create an environment that serves the needs of both filmmakers and film fans, and we learned that visible and active curation is the key to both,” said Villa.

Film Armada co-founders Christina Villa and Alla Bronskaya at the 17th Annual Nantucket Film Festival

“There are so many elements of this site that were thoughtfully put together with one purpose in mind: to build a trusted film community, a platform that gives filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their work on a global scale and earn a direct profit from their work,” added co-founder Bronskaya.

Villa and Bronskaya worked with Alek Marfisi and Bruce Jones at the Baruch Small Business Development Center to sort out the financial modeling and planning aspect of their start-up.  ”Working with Alek was instrumental in building our business,” Villa said.  ”When we approached the center our main gap was in financial modeling and company valuation, and Alek helped guide and build this for us.  Having been in investment banking previously, my exposure involved more client and sales management, which did not require my having to do financial planning on such a micro level.  Alek was very detailed oriented and help build out our model in a way that we could understand.  Additionally Alek, as well as Bruce, took a healthy interest in the success of our platform and provided the strategic guidance needed when seeking investors.”

Filmmakers interested in Film Armada can submit their shorts, features, documentaries or web series online for free; selected works will be featured online and receive revenues via film credit sales and advertising, all while retaining full rights of their films.  Film fans can watch films on Film Armada by purchasing film credits for $1 each.  For more information, visit Film Armada here.

 

 

 

Bennu

Bennu is the leader in green social media marketing. The company’s sustainability solutions increase enterprise value by aligning clients’ business objectives with consumer demand and environmental resources.

Bennu reached profitability in 2010 and its clients range from FORTUNE 500 companies to green technology startups. Co-Founder & CEO, Ashok Kamal, coined the term “Green Gamification” to describe Bennu’s focus making sustainability fun and rewarding by using social media and game mechanics. Ashok has spoken about Bennu’s work at the White House’s GreenGov Symposium, South By Southwest and the Sustainable Brands conference.

Bennu Founders Kevin Ng, Sayaka Eto and Ashok Kamal

Breuckelen Distilling

Breuckelen Distilling is the first gin distillery to be located in Brooklyn since prohibition.  Breuckelen’s products are all made from scratch, eschewing the traditional gin distillery practice of purchasing ready made alcohol.  Instead Breuckelen works with a New York farmer to source grains which are fermented and then distilled in it’s 19th Street space.

Abode New York


Abode New York is a lifestyle boutique store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn known for showcasing contemporary home furnishing created by local New York designers.  Co-founder Tony Wong’s interest and background in architecture provided him with the skills to cultivate Abode’s unique merchandise that suit ‘Urban’ New Yorkers’ home furnishing needs. Abode has been featured in several local and international media as a must-visit place for home decor enthusiasts.  Anticipating a growth in demand, Abode sought financial assistance to bolster its inventory and to better manage its operating expenses.  Field Center advisors counseled Abode in developing a business plan and financial projections to better estimate funding needs and identify potential lenders.