Student Entrepreneurs from Six Colleges Collaborate at First-Ever North Country Launch Day

Nearly 50 students representing six North Country colleges joined forces on Friday, Jan. 31, for the inaugural North Country Launch Day at SUNY Canton.

Launch Day was a collaborative, day-long event designed to spark entrepreneurial thinking and hands-on learning. Organized by SUNY Canton and Clarkson University’s Shipley Center for Innovation, this dynamic challenge brought together diverse teams from Jefferson Community College, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY Potsdam, and the host institutions.

North Country Launch Day emphasized the core processes behind entrepreneurship. Event leader and consultant Aïko Thurlow guided participants through the vital steps of customer discovery, engaging with potential consumers early on to test, refine, and validate their ideas.

“Today is really to help students discover what entrepreneurship is all about,” Thurlow said. “There are ways to start entrepreneurship smartly, in a way that is very low cost and very efficient. The goal is really the discovery process - putting students together with ideas and resources and igniting their entrepreneurial fire.”

Throughout the intense, nine-hour session, intercollegiate teams brainstormed, researched market potential, and ran preliminary profitability calculations to refine and pivot their ideas. Teams were comprised of students from a mix of the participating colleges, allowing them to share varied perspectives and skill sets as they worked together to develop their business pitches.

Yesika Carrasquillo, an online SUNY Canton Legal Studies student from New York City, experimented with “Education Veritas,” an educational consulting firm that helps students who have been bullied or face physical challenges find the right pathway.
“Everybody has a different route to success,” Carrasquillo said. “My teammates broadened my understanding of how to improve my concept. I’ve gained deeper insights about how I can shape my business.”

One of the teams found a potential opportunity serving hot drinks at college events. Carla LaBow, a Clarkson University senior from Watertown, and her team started with a focus on selling coffee at area sporting events. Customer discovery led them to an expanded business idea, “Brews and Bites,” adding snacks and a greater variety of beverages to the plan.

Deren Purisic, a SUNY Plattsburgh senior majoring in Finance, collaborated with peers on refurbishing and repurposing old technology. After speaking with potential customers, the team pivoted to emphasize secure data extraction.
“We decided that a big issue is when people have old devices, they might be scared about losing the personal data and memories they have on them,” Purisic said. “We could extract the data and send it directly to them.”

Volunteer mentors from the regional entrepreneurial community supported the teams all day, helping them refine their ideas and craft compelling pitches. A judging panel comprised of representatives from the colleges and event sponsors recognized three top projects:

1. Hitch-Hike – a rideshare application for college students in the North Country.
2. Brews and Bites – a mobile snack and beverage service that caters to college events.
3. Bare Botanicals – an all-natural, locally sourced beauty and self-care product line.

Organizers aim to make North Country Launch Day an annual tradition, strengthening cross-campus collaboration and fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.
“When you bring together students from multiple schools and connect them with mentors, resources, and real-world feedback, that’s when the magic happens,” Thurlow said. “Entrepreneurship is a community effort.”

Event sponsors included SeaComm Federal Credit Union and the North Country Innovation Hot Spot, a project of Empire State Development.

For more information on North Country Launch Day and future events, please visit nocolaunchday.com