(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)April 6, 2022

MAHWAH, N.J. – Ramapo College’s Enactus (Entrepreneurial, Action, Us) team took up where it left off before the pandemic and roared back to a successful presentation of its “Grinds to Grill” k-cup recycling project, earning the “Social Innovation Award” in the TiE University NJ Pitch competition.

Associate Professor of Management Tammi Redd, who oversees Enactus at Ramapo, said the team, comprised of 13 students, had to put the brakes on their work which began in 2019. “By the time we returned to campus, we had all new members who were excited to breathe life back into the project,” she said, noting that the crux of the initiative – converting used coffee grinds into usable charcoal-like briquettes — was already in place. “As we transitioned back to face-to-face activities, the group wanted to rebuild momentum to gain funding for new ‘snazzy’ packaging that would help sell the briquettes at local farmers’ markets.”

The Ramapo Enactus team entered the TiE NJ University Competition in February, submitting a business plan, business model canvas and pitch presentation, and was named a finalist for the state competition. Ramapo student Maya Peacock ’24, a Math major minoring in Finance/Data Analytics, represented the College against competitors from Rutgers University, Montclair State University, Princeton University, and UPenn. The “Social Innovation Award” came with a $500 prize.

TiE is a non-profit organization which began in 1992 in the Silicon Valley and has since expanded to nine states. TiE hosts pitch competitions, supports entrepreneurship education and provides financial support to university and college-based startups.

Enactus also had success in the fall of 2021 when it participated in the Enactus Morocco Entrepreneurial Exchange where students in the U.S. teamed up with students from Morocco to work on a social entrepreneurship project which would address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Ramapo/Morocco team designed an app called “Smile Space” to promote Good Health and Well-Being. The students earned second place and $750 in startup funding to continue working with their teammates in Morocco on launching the app in fall 2022.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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