Rider University Awards Full Scholarship In Business Competition

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Rider University offered up a full four-year scholarship during its recent Shark Tank-esque Norm Brodsky Idea/Business Concept Competition on Jan. 17, the university announced. Metuchen High School senior Aniruddha Srinivasan emerged victorious from a field of 10 finalists for an app that could change the tourism industry.

"I had an incredible experience presenting my business in front of a group of people who really cared about entrepreneurship," Srinivasan said. "I thank Rider University and Norm Brodsky for providing me with this fantastic opportunity. It was a great honor to win the big award."

He landed the scholarship via his tourism mobile app, which he dubbed "the Uber of tourist services." The goal is to connect tourists with local residents so they can get a true cultural experience without the fear of a language or cultural barrier.

Tour guides will be able to register themselves on the app and provide their language abilities, knowledge of a particular area and tour price. Tourists will then be able to search for guides based on these factors.
Named Omamori, the Japanese word for amulet, the app is a work in progress and Srinivasan hopes to launch it in Japan.

High school students from around the world were eligible for this competition, which is a new edition of the College of Business Administration’s (CBA) NJ High School Business Concept Competition.

Applicants were required to submit a brief summary of their business concept, which was reviewed by a group of judges before the 10 finalists were selected. The finalists were then divided into two divisions by class, with seniors in one group and sophomores and juniors in the other.

Each student was given four minutes to make their presentation and four minutes to answer questions from a panel of three executive level judges.

"What amazes me most was not only how creative all the students were, but their poise at only 16 or 17 years old as they presented in front of the judges," Dr. Ron Cook, associate dean of CBA's graduate programs and an entrepreneurial studies professor, said. "Regardless of their finish at the live finale, these students were really the cream of the crop."

Cash prizes were also awarded to the top two students in the Sophomore/Junior Competition. All participants were also invited to attend BRONC Tank Academy, a summer pre-college experience to explore entrepreneurship at the college-level.

Funding for the competition came from Rider University alum Norm Brodsky, who graduated from the university in 1964.

"I was most happy to see that the next generation of young men and women have such great ideas and passion," Brodksy said. "Their enthusiasm and passion shone through. You could feel their excitement as they presented."

The attached image of Aniruddha Srinivasan was provided by Rider University