Pat-Med students win prizes in business idea competition

A smart desk for students, a self-heating-and-cooling bean bag chair, and an app that helps people find the perfect gift.

Those are some of the winning ideas in this year’s sixth-annual Patchogue Young Professionals entrepreneur competition for Patchogue-Medford High School students.

A total of $3,200 in prizes, including a $1,500 first-place prize, was awarded to four teams in a check presentation at the high school on Friday.

Twenty-nine teams gave presentations in this year’s “Shark Tank”-style competition.

The first-place prize of $1,500, which was sponsored by Industrial Coverage of Patchogue, was awarded to Karina Tiniganay, Jennifer Quistian, and Sebastian Crespo for their idea for 4U, a company that uses artificial intelligence to generate customized gift-giving suggestions.

The competition’s judges, which included Patchogue Young Professionals board members, were impressed by how prepared the students were and how detailed their presentations were, Patchogue Young Professionals board chair Stephen King said.
“What keeps us coming back and what makes this our most favorite event of the year is the level of talent that comes out of Pat-Med High,” King said. “We’re always impressed. We’re always blown away by first place and we always, always have a difficult time deciding second or third because there are more than three winners in this competition.”

Several of the winning students, like 4U’s Tiniganay, said they plan to study entrepreneurship in college.

Others have already started their own businesses, like 4U’s Crespo, who launched a business making candles and selling them at Pat-Med’s student store.

There is a strong interest in business among Pat-Med students, business teacher Jason Smiloff said.

“I saw some amazing presentations, said Smiloff, one of the district’s 11 business teachers. “It pushes the kids to prepare for their future careers and show the best sides of themselves.”

The entrepreneur competition is one of several programs in which Patchogue Young Professionals work with Pat-Med students, including participating in a career panel and Industry Advisory Day.

“It’s a nice way to build rapport with some of the high school students,” said Michele Cayea, a Patchogue Young Professionals board member.

In addition to first-place winner 4U, the other winners were:

Second place ($1,000)

Cloud Co., which came up with the idea for a bean bag chair that heats and cools itself.

Team members:  Dean Badamo, Daniel Sheridan, Jeraly Tejada and Jesse Wilson.

Third place ($500)

Escitor, whose idea is a smart desk for students.

Team members: Cheryn Gonzales and Victoria Ruiz.

Fourth place ($200)

Simulated Sports, whose idea is a simulator that people can use to test golf clubs before buying them

Team member: Morgan Mazzarella