FSC Student the People’s Choice in State-wide Competition
May 8, 2017
William Turano
Business Management major – and proud owner of a green thumb – William Turano, has won a People’s Choice award at the state-wide Business Plan Competition held recently in Albany. Turano won for his Lifted Roots Vertical Farms business, in the Services category. He was one of only six competitors – among 103 entrants – to win the award.
It is the first time an FSC student has won an award at the state finals, competing against
undergraduate and graduate students from top colleges and universities in the state.
Turano earned the right to compete by snagging third place at the Long Island regionals, held at Farmingdale last month.
His service provides a unique hydroponic agricultural system that is versatile, mobile, and sustainable, to meet the consumer demand for farm-to-table. The system grows food responsibly and sustainably to reduce the environmental impact of food production. His indoor farm uses 95% less water compared to traditional farms and is an almost carbon-neutral operation.
Says Turano: “I’m trying to spread awareness and promote sustainability, not just in the business, but in every aspect of my life. I’m a self-proclaimed vegan, tree-hugging hippy, yogi, surfer, and wouldn’t want it any other way!
“With lots of practice and some help from Professor Michael Veracka, I’ve learned how to successfully grow vegetables. Now, with the help of Professors Bichara, Liselli, Lanza-Giraldi, Rachlin, and Dr. Feng, I’m learning how to successfully grow the business.”
Stack House team (L-R): Montana Musillo, Constance Cooper, Nikola Georgiev, Tahamina Akter
Also in Albany were four Electrical/Computer Engineering Technology students presenting Stack House, a STEM toy for children. The toy is a modular dollhouse, where you buy individual rooms and place them together to form a larger structure. Stack House’s inventors are Montana Musillo, Constance Cooper, Nikola Georgiev and Tahamina Akter.
