Mayor Kraham Announces Civic Alert Systems as Winner of 2024 Binghamton Business Plan Competition

Annual Contest Awards $7,500 in Prizes to Support Entrepreneurship in Binghamton

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.)—Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Wednesday joined the Binghamton Local Development Corporation (BLDC) and SUNY Broome's Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) to announce Civic Alert Systems as the winner of the 2024 Binghamton Business Plan Competition.

Mayor Kraham said: "For nearly 15 years, the Binghamton Business Plan Competition has recognized some of our area's brightest innovators and provided a springboard to help entrepreneurs succeed. As this year's winner, Civic Alert Systems has already tapped into the well of resources our community has available for start-ups and will receive additional support to grow their business in the months ahead. The start-up aims to make it easier for local governments to communicate directly with residents—something I can appreciate as a mayor. Congratulations to all the finalists this year, and thank you for your hard work."

Civic Alert Systems allows local governments and municipalities to provide information directly to residents through text messaging. Messages can be sent immediately to notify residents in real-time during unplanned events or emergencies, like water main breaks or weather events, or scheduled to send at later times for less-urgent information.

The start-up is owned and operated by Vestal natives Ryan Crist, now a Jamesville resident, and Jason Duda.

Civic Alert Systems owner Ryan Crist said: "The 2024 BLDC-EAP Business Plan Competition was a door-opening opportunity for Civic Alert Systems to showcase its technology to the City of Binghamton and its representatives. The overall process was well defined and served as an architecture for us to better understand our business and the future direction of the company. We are very excited for the next steps of our business."

The annual BLDC-EAP Binghamton Business Plan Competition awards $5,000 to the individual or team that submits the best plan for developing a business in the City of Binghamton.

The first-place winner also receives administrative support to start or grow their business in the City, such as legal counsel and accounting services, donated in-kind by Binghamton businesses and organizations.

The competition was judged by a volunteer panel of two active commercial loan officers and a representative from the Binghamton University Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

In addition to the $5,000 cash award for first place, first place also receives:

• Five hours of accounting services courtesy of Davidson, Fox & Co.
• $500 of legal counsel courtesy of Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP
• One-year membership in the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce
• $500 in sign creation services courtesy of 3i Graphics & Signs
• $500 in website services courtesy of Freshy
• $500 in branding services courtesy of Idea-Kraft
• One-year membership in the Triple Cities Makerspace
• Three-month co-working membership at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator courtesy of Binghamton University's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships

Applicants must either plan to start a business or have an existing business that is no more than five years old, and demonstrate the ability to finance and open the business in the City of Binghamton within four months of winning the competition.

Civic Alert Systems plans to locate at the Koffmann Southern Tier Incubator.

The second-place winner of the 2024 Binghamton Business Plan Competition is UMAHARI, a start-up working to develop biologics-based plant fertilizer products that are cost-effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic fertilizers. Owned by Dr. Alok Adholeya, UMAHARI is exploring setting up a pilot manufacturing facility in the City of Binghamton. The company received a $2,000 second-place prize.

In third place, the bubble tea business 2nd Heaven received a $500 prize. Owned by Leighton Blackwood, a Binghamton University alum, 2nd Heaven is exploring a downtown Binghamton location after success operating on the Vestal college campus.

The BLDC-EAP Binghamton Business Plan Competition is the longest running of its kind in the Greater Binghamton area. The competition seeks to cultivate local business development, promote entrepreneurial spirit and raise awareness about SUNY Broome's Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, BLDC financing and other community resources for small business growth.

The prize money for the competition comes from M&T Bank and the annual budget of the BLDC's Marketing & Outreach Plan, funded by the BLDC's Urban Development Action Grant.

Additional financial support was provided by Sall-Stearns and the Binghamton-Oneonta Building Trades Council.