by Jenifer Shockley
Clifton V. (Buddy) Ray, Angela Cross, William Cross, Michael S. Jordan
ATLANTA – VasoCorp, a company offering a patent-pending supplement for diabetic neuropathy, won the 2016 business plan competition held by the Herman J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship of Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Pre-law student Angela Cross and her brother, William, a Type 1 diabetic, are partners in the venture; he developed the product to help control his own neuropathy. In addition to bragging rights, the Cross siblings received a cash prize of $20,000 and a package of in-kind services.
Second prize went to Bryan Perry for Elemenoh Studios, a creative agency that creates location-based apps for and integrations for brick-and-mortar locations and event-based installations. Perry, a student in the Master of Fine Arts program, received $10,000 as well as a package of in-kind services.
honorCode, which seeks to expand career options for low opportunity students in the metro Atlanta area, was named best nonprofit/socially aware plan. Dylan Stone-Miller, a student in the Master of Science in Educational Research program, is honorCode president.
“It’s exciting to see Georgia State students creating business ideas at this level,” said Russell Center associate director Clifton V. (Buddy) Ray. “I have no doubt that all of our 2016 winners will make good use of their awards to continue creating successful businesses.”
Thirty-two business plans were submitted to this year’s competition, which is open to all Georgia State students. Judges included Gerry Balboni, partner, Krevolin & Horst; Robin Gagnon, co-founder and chief marketing officer, We Sell Restaurants; Kevin Johnson, CEO and president, Johnson Media; and Davin Williams, managing director of audit services, Grant Thornton.
The largest business school in the South and part of a major research institution, Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business has 200 faculty, 8,000 students and 75,000 alumni. With programs on five continents and students from 88 countries, the college is world-class and worldwide. Its part-time MBA is ranked among the best by the Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report, and its Executive MBA is on the Financial Times list of the world’s premier programs. Located in Atlanta, the Robinson College and Georgia State have produced more of Georgia’s top executives with graduate degrees than any other school in the Southeast.