Citadel Veteran Student Triumphs in 10th Baker Business Bowl
A Citadel veteran student emerged victorious in the 10th annual Baker Business Bowl, procuring a $10,000 reward for his outstanding business plan.
The Winning Business Concept – Tsuboi Agriculture
The winning company, Tsuboi Agriculture, plans to cultivate Australian Red Claw Crayfish under large-scale aquaculture conditions. The central idea is to provide high-end seafood restaurants as well as regular consumers with a sustainable, cost-effective, and promising taste alternative to lobster.
Austin Hronek, a veteran student and the sole member of the team, crafted the innovative business plan instrumental to his victory across the grueling three rounds of the Baker Business Bowl.
Hronek, while expressing his gratitude towards his family, friends, and the school administration, stated, “It is a tremendous blessing and opportunity to have participated in the Baker Business Bowl. There were a lot of other great business ideas that participated in the competition. I am forever grateful for the support that I received, leading to the success of Tsuboi Agriculture.”
Second Place Winner – Baffling Solutions
The second-place team, Baffling Solutions, received a check of $5,000 for their invention – a trailer-moving robot named Argo. Cadets Gabriel Wentworth, Elis Buttry, Calvin Brodersen, and Charles Geiger make up the team behind this innovative concept aimed at making trailer movements safer and more convenient.
The Contest Structure
The Baker Business Bowl started with teams submitting applications comprising their team name and a brief description of their business idea. The second round saw teams present a succinct elevator pitch to a panel of judges, who decided which teams would advance to the final round.
In the final round, the top five teams engaged in an exhaustive presentation of their full business plans covering aspects such as marketing, pricing, production strategies, and other relevant business details.
The panel of judges for this event included prominent names like Mark Dajani, Stephen C. Evans, Darlene Filan, Dr. Al Lovvorn, Debby Marindin, Doug McFarland, Charlie O’Brien, David Saulnier, ‘89, Rene Studer, Mona J Simmons, and Derek Willis.
The Spirit of the Event
The Baker Business Bowl, facilitated through generous donations from several contributors including The Citadel Class of 1989, Jeff Cobb, William Hancock, CPA, and Dan D. Nale, PE, ’82, embodies the spirit of entrepreneurial grit and innovation. It offers a unique platform for cadets, undergraduate and graduate students, to pitch their business models and earn seed funding to kickstart their ventures.
While Tsuboi Agriculture’s winning idea of cultivating Australian Red Claw Crayfish captured the limelight this year, the initiative is a milestone in nurturing the business acumen and creative prowess of Citadel’s students, champions of tomorrow.
For further information regarding the Baker Business Bowl, and the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business, the nidus of this event, pattern your …Click here.
