Transfinder CEO Antonio Civitella joins 25 business leaders to judge RPI's Business Model Competition

SCHENECTADY, NY (02/27/2014)(readMedia)-- Transfinder President & CEO Antonio Civitella joined 25 business leaders in New York's Capital Region on February 26 to judge business models presented by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute undergraduate and graduate students.

This year marks the first year RPI hosted the Business Model Competition, a shift from previous years when the competition focused on how well students could pitch their business plans or write convincing executive summaries. Student teams were judged for conducting feet-on-the-ground market research, testing assumptions with potential customers and making adjustments – or pivots – from their initial assumptions.

"The business models we saw were very impressive," Civitella said. "These students did their homework, getting off campus to speak with experts in their industries. I know the judges had a difficult time picking the best business models, the teams were that strong. There was a lot of energy at the Business Model Competition. It's exciting to see what's coming out of our local colleges and universities."

"The judges for business model competition provided a tremendous value to Rensselaer and to the student entrepreneurs," said Jason Kuruzovich, academic director of the Rensselaer's Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship. "The judges provided both validation and encouragement based on their broad experiences as well as constructive feedback that may help to guide entrepreneurs forward in the journey."

Civitella has an affinity for collegiate entrepreneurs. It was during his time as a student at Siena College that he started an internship at Forth & Associates in Schenectady. That led to a full-time job and eventually, Civitella bought the company and renamed it after its flagship product, Transfinder, bus routing software used by more than 1,500 school districts.

Civitella has created the NYBizLab, a business accelerator in Schenectady, to help companies like those represented at the Business Model Competition stay and grow in the region.

To read more about the Business Model Competition:

"Innovations in digital storytelling and vehicle fuel efficiency win the day in Rensselaer competition" – Albany Business Review

About Transfinder

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is among Inc. magazine's fastest growing companies for the past seven consecutive years. A national leader in student transportation management systems and services, Transfinder offers routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. Transfinder products allow school districts to manage bus routes, provide safe and efficient student transportation, and access a wealth of critical district information. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.

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