Competitions

FDUPitch Business Idea Competition

Do you have a winning business idea?

Submit your FDUPitch business idea no later than February 4, 2026. The selected teams shall agree to participate in the FDUPitch competition, and the winner of FDUPitch shall agree to participate in the UPitchNJ statewide competition. The winning team pitches its business idea/model to a panel of judges in a large auditorium.

Spring 2026 Deadlines and Schedule

  • February 4, 2026: Deadline to submit your FDUPitch business idea
  • March 4, 2026: Selected teams participate in the FDUPitch competition
  • May 1, 2026: FDUPitch winner competes in the UPitchNJ statewide competition

Rules of the competition

  1. Teams must have at least one member. Team member(s) can be undergraduate students of any major.
  2. Submit your business idea using the link below. Some of the questions to answer are:
    • Describe your business idea, including a solution to address a problem.
    • Who are your customers? How do you make money?
    • Who are your competitors? How does your business achieve a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors?
    • What social value is your business expected to create?
  3. Criteria to keep in mind when writing your business idea:
    • Originality
    • Feasibility
    • Innovativeness
    • Financial Viability
    • Social Impact of the Product or Service

Please contact Dr. Ko with any questions.

Submit your idea

Resources

  1. How to Create a Winning Business Idea — In Six Easy Steps from Forbes Magazine
  2. How to Pitch an Idea to Your Boss, Colleagues, and Customers from Workawesome.com

Previous Winners

  • Winners: Rachel Catena, Chris Lopez, and David Vance; John Marciano; Cameron Brooks and Zach Puccia; Tomasz Kasztelan and Christopher Fiorenza; and Jonathan Parham
  • Judging panel: Jon Budish, Domenick Celentano, Guillaume Gauthereau, Joseph Gulfo, Meyyappan Narayanan
  • Moderator: Patrick Cozza

Digital Marketing Competition

Sponsored by Kraus Marketing

“Showcase Your Talent. Shape Your Future.”

About the Competition

The Digital Marketing Competition is a three-stage challenge designed to uncover the top digital marketing talent at FDU — and beyond. Open to all college students, it’s a fun, friendly, and highly professional competition where students sharpen their skills and compete for valuable cash prizes.

This year’s competition is proudly sponsored by Kraus Marketing, a leading marketing agency with over 20 years of excellence based in Morristown, NJ.

Key Dates

First Round Assignment Opens: Spring 2025
Second Round Assignment Released: Early Fall 2025
Final Competition and Awards Event: October 30, 2025 @2:30pm

Location: Kraus Marketing Headquarters, Morristown, NJ

Competition Format

The Digital Marketing Competition is organized in three exciting stages. In the first round, approximately 150 students complete an initial digital marketing assignment. Based on the creativity, strategy, and quality of their responses, the top 20 students are selected to move forward. In the second round, these semifinalists receive a new, more advanced marketing challenge designed in collaboration with our sponsor, Kraus Marketing. Their performance on this second assignment determines the top five finalists, who are then invited to present their work live at the final event. During the final round, each finalist pitches their marketing strategy directly to executives and marketing professionals at Kraus Marketing’s headquarters. After careful evaluation, the winners are selected and cash prizes are awarded. Throughout the competition, students have opportunities not only to compete but also to interact with industry leaders, gain valuable feedback, and experience a real-world marketing environment.

Prizes

First Place: $1,000
Second Place: $500
Third Place: $300
Honorable Mentions (2): $100 each

Our Story: How It All Began

In 2022, what started as an ambitious idea became a reality — the first-ever FDU Digital Marketing Competition was launched, thanks to the support of DefinedLogic, a leading marketing agency from Red Bank, NJ. That year, over 130 students submitted their creative strategies, with three finalists presenting live at DefinedLogic’s offices. The event was a tremendous success, setting a new standard for student-industry collaboration.

In 2023, the competition grew even stronger. With even more student participation, the final round was hosted on the beautiful Florham Campus, featuring a professional panel discussion and a spirited audience cheering on the top three finalists. The energy, the ideas, and the professionalism of our students impressed everyone — and confirmed that the Digital Marketing Competition had become a signature event at Silberman College of Business.

Now, in 2025, we are proud to launch our third annual competition, this time with an exciting new partner: Kraus Marketing, a top marketing agency based in Morristown, NJ. With more students, bigger prizes, and even stronger industry ties, the Digital Marketing Competition continues to grow — giving our students a unique platform to showcase their talent, gain real-world experience, and connect directly with marketing professionals.

Past Competition Winners

2023 Winners (click here for a LinkedIn post):

  • First place: Jamie Bonaccorso
  • Second place: Jasmine Mathai
  • Third place: Colin Aguesseau

2022 Winners (click here for a LinkedIn post):

  • First place: Junys Javier
  • Second place: Stefanie Agarunova
  • Third place: Nicole Gaeta

How to Participate

All SCB students are automatically eligible. Students from outside of SCB must contact the Dr. Omer Topaloglu (otopaloglu@fdu.edu) by the start of the Spring semester to receive and submit the first-round assignment separately.

Don’t miss the chance to gain real-world experience, impress top marketing professionals, and win amazing prizes!