On Friday, December 13, 2024, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., hundreds of NYC high school students, from across the boroughs, will descend upon Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. They will participate in the SuitUp “Battle of the Boroughs” competition, which will focus on building a diverse talent pipeline in the financial services sector by engaging students in an exercise that will introduce them to the world of finance, while having them create a product or service that celebrates and builds a sense of community in New York City.
Schools that will compete include: Liberty Partnerships Program, Bronx; Integration Charter Schools, Staten Island; St. Jean Baptiste High School, Manhattan; The Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn and The Brooklyn School for Math and Research; and John Adams High School, Queens.
SuitUp, a nonprofit entity that strives to increase career readiness for all students through innovative business plan competitions, has partnered with the Fordham Foundry, Fordham University’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship within the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, a thought leader in business education for the future and in the areas of social and corporate responsibility, to encourage more students—especially those from underrepresented communities—to consider careers in financial services.
SuitUp also has enlisted corporate partners including: Apollo Global Management, Ares Management, BlackRock, Global Atlantic Financial Group, Goldman Sachs, Santander Bank, whose executives will serve as coaches and judges for the contest. Students from across the City’s diverse school districts will participate in this friendly competition, designed to open their eyes to the possibilities of positive change through business.
To date, Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson; Brooklyn Borough President, Antonio Reynoso; and First Deputy Commissioner Valerie Vazquez of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, have been confirmed to take pictures with the students and deliver remarks at 1:00 p.m. or shortly thereafter.
Coached by a participating financial services sponsor, the student “CEOs” participating in the competition will develop a product or service they sense will build community in New York City. Each idea must include a profit margin, a 3-year financial model, and a list of KPIs to measure success. The winning team from each borough will go “head to head” in a true battle of the boroughs final. Students will walk away from the experience with a greater understanding of the financial services industry and the business world, as well as the confidence that, they too can be CEOs someday.
Members of the press who are interested in attending this event must register here for campus access.
PLEASE NOTE: Members of the press who are interested in covering this event should arrive at the campus by 12:15 p.m. and should check in at security by entering the Gabelli School of Business, 140 West 62nd Street, First Floor. City officials will arrive just after that and there will be an opportunity for photo ops and listening to their remarks at 1:00 p.m. Any broadcast outlets that require additional support must let us know ASAP.
About the Fordham Foundry
The Fordham Foundry is Fordham University’ hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Foundry grew out of Fordham University’s effort to provide entrepreneurial students with a beyond-the-classroom support structure for their businesses. Recognizing that great business ideas don’t emerge only from business schools, the Foundry is open to students, alumni, parents, and friends of all Fordham University’s nine schools and colleges, especially those from liberal arts backgrounds.
The Foundry’s mission is to provide momentum and substance to the entrepreneurial spirit within the Fordham community by providing, mentorship, funding, community, and events. In order to stay engaged with entrepreneurial minds of Fordham’s community, the Foundry hosts weekly roundtable, with pizza of course, featuring discussions on current events in the world of entrepreneurship and presentations led by the Foundry’s ever-growing network of entrepreneurs in the field. With resources, mentorship, and community students and alumni looking to dip their toes in the waters of entrepreneurship need to look no farther than the Foundry.
About the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business
Founded in 1920, the mission of the Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business is to inspire and empower positive global change, developing students into compassionate business leaders and supporting faculty members and students in the ongoing generation of new knowledge. The Gabelli School of Business has become a driver of social innovation by equipping graduates to be business leaders who understand and meet the need for sustainability in business and who are able to harness the power of social responsibility for both financial success and societal impact. Through its many graduate and undergraduate degree programs and a diverse range of faculty research initiatives, the Gabelli School of Business works collectively to redesign business as a sustainable force for prosperity.
About SuitUp
SuitUp is a 501(c)(3) education non-profit that increases career readiness for all students through innovative business plan competitions. SuitUp’s vision is to align the incentives of schools and corporations to ensure that all students have the access and awareness to pursue the college and career of their choosing. The organization envisions a world where all companies have a corporate executive that can call themselves a SuitUp alum. Since its founding in 2014, SuitUp has completed 750 competitions, served over 21,000 students and engaged 13,500+ corporate volunteers across the country and beyond. To learn more about SuitUp, please contact Executive Director, Ben Pah at Ben@VolunteerSuitUp.org.
